"Make it Beef" program moves beef

A Beef Information Centre (BIC) consumer promotion initiative launched in the summer of 2007 has resulted in some excellent feedback.

The Make it Beef program aims at motivating people to purchase fresh beef for making meals at home. The program consists of a quarterly recipe booklet included in subscribers’ Reader’s Digest magazine, a merchandising program with a key food retailer and a monthly consumer e-newsletter. Both the booklet and the e-newsletter consist of recipes, nutrition information, and cooking and safe food handling tips.

Consumer response for the program looks good with recent consumer surveys indicating the majority of readers of the Make It Beef (MIB) booklets would prepare at least one recipe from the booklet.

According to Joyce Parslow, BIC’s consumer culinary marketing manager, this translates into an incremental 473,902 lb. of beef sold for each distribution of Make it Beef.
“The formats of both the booklet and e-newsletter allow for a greater depth of consumer messaging,” says Parslow. “Nutrition and health-focused articles and information around Canadian beef, and beef buying and preparation are support pieces to the recipes. At the same time, the program delivers strategic consumer marketing messages about Canadian beef.”

Between July 2007 and June 2008, four issues of the MIB recipe booklets were distributed to 1.2 million consumers nationally every three months through Reader’s Digest insertions. On top of that, MIB booklets were part of a seasonal, in-store merchandising program with two key retailers, and was offered at various trade shows and other events, including provincial beef producer meetings and various consumer tradeshows.

The MIB program also includes a free monthly newsletter, e-mailed to ‘subscribers’ who sign up on the BIC website. To date, the number of online subscribers to MIB includes 10,492 for the English version and 2,403 for the French version.

According to Parslow, the surveys show consumers ranked both the MIB booklet and the e-newsletter as highly appealing and influential.

“MIB booklets are highly appealing and influential when they get into the hands of consumers, and are thus achieving the original goals of the program,” she notes.
With the MIB consumer promotion program, BIC can measure how many consumers get the MIB materials and can assess feedback. MIB motivates a purchase, influences consumer perception of beef and offers insight into consumer opinion.

Between July 2007 and June 2008, the MIB program leveraged $200,000 in grocery product partner funds for program development and execution, allowing for expansion of BIC marketing efforts and reach, including the seasonal in-store merchandising program.