“We want to answer consumers’ questions and proactively share our stories in a fun and surprising way,” said Beth Englemann, chief marketing and communications officer for Dairy Management Inc.
“We will remind them the dairy community has their backs every step of the way, from the production standpoint to a great, nutritious variety of products that are in people’s lives.”
“Our ability to launch this effort comes because of the hard work of dairy farmers and the total dairy community,” added Barb O’Brien, president of Dairy Management Inc. and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.
“Each of the 50 states has a dairy farmer, and we all dairy a little differently,” said Amber Horn-Leiterman, Wisconsin dairy farmer and chair of the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board. “Sometimes that makes it hard to see what we have in common and what we can achieve if we’re all together and pulling in one direction.”
Changing Consumer Habits
The multiyear campaign will launch to coincide with the 80th June Dairy Month.
“We will have a marketing campaign with the Food Network and the Cooking Channel, and it will involve Facebook, Instagram and YouTube,” Englemann explained. “And across the country, there will be a number of on-farm events and open houses.”
Other times during the year, “Undeniably Dairy” will focus on various topics such as animal care, responsible production or the overall benefit of the dairy category.
“Cows’ milk comes with protein, calcium and Vitamin D, and we see our competitors adding that in when we naturally have it,” Englemann said. “This campaign will loudly and proudly tell that story.”
The dairy industry has researched consumers.
“Most people live within 100 miles of a farm, yet people have never been so disconnected from farmers and agriculture,” Englemann said. “We have an opportunity to bring people back so they can understand where their food comes from.”
“Our vision is to insure people trust dairy as essential to their lives as a food group and in terms of our role in agriculture to ensure a plentiful and affordable supply,” O’Brien said.
Public Perception
“For the past 15 to 20 years, we’ve been so focused to do the best we can with land, water and animals that we forget how to open the barn door and let others in to see what we are doing and why,” Horn-Leiterman admitted.
However, during this time, the dairy farmer said, the consumer dynamic has vastly changed.
“They want to know what we’re doing and how the products are produced because they need to trust us,” she said. “They no longer have a grandparent, uncle or cousin to provide the firsthand connection for what they crave to understand.”
Sometimes, Horn-Leiterman said, dairy farmers have been too modest.
“But we can’t be afraid to talk about what we are proud of,” she stressed. “And 97 percent of all dairies are family owned and operated.”
She is the sixth generation of her family to farm.
By: Martha Blum
Source: AgriNews
Link: http://www.agrinews-pubs.com/news/dairy-farmers-take-stand-against-imitators/article_d7b10e25-0b05-59ea-a763-0e1cc8450293.html
