The next time you’re interested in a good read, check out the “USDA Report To Congress On The Dairy Promotion Programs for 2003.” If you really want to read it, it’s here. Otherwise, just follow along with some excerpts.
First a little about DMI …
In March 1994, the Dairy Board approved the creation of Dairy Management Inc. (DMI). DMI is a joint undertaking between the Dairy Board and the UDIA … DMI merged the staffs of the Dairy Board and UDIA to manage the Dairy Board programs as well as those of the American Dairy Association ® and National Dairy Council ® throughout the contiguous 48 States. DMI is a merger of the two separate program and administrative staff’s into a single staff that serves both boards and is structured into four support groups. The domestic marketing group supports advertising, school marketing, nutrition and product research, product publicity, and retail promotion activities. The industry relations/communications group provides outlets for news about dairy topics through its media contacts as well as communication regarding the dairy checkoff program to producers and the rest of the dairy industry. The research, planning, and evaluation group provides analysis of domestic and foreign marketplaces, program effectiveness, consumption patterns, and consumer perceptions for effective program planning, implementation, and measurement. The export group serves as a resource for U.S. dairy processors to improve export capabilities of the U.S. dairy industry.
Since January l, 1995, the Dairy Board and UDIA have developed their marketing plans and programs through DMI. DMI facilitates the integration of producer promotion funds through a joint process of planning and program implementation so that the programs on the national, regional, State, and local level work together. The goals of DMI are to reduce administrative costs, to have a larger impact on the consumer, and to drive demand, thereby helping to increase human consumption of fluid milk and dairy products.
(emphasis mine)
Some of their work …
CHEESE
The DMI umbrella cheese campaign “Ahh, the power of Cheese TM ” continued to promote cheese directly toward “Cheese Lovers,” with an emphasis on cheese “Cravers” and cheese “Enhancers.” Cheese ”Cravers” eat cheese primarily “as is,” directly out of the package or off the block, and consume cheese as an important component of their food consumption routine. Cheese “Enhancers” have equally positive attitudes toward cheese but their consumption primarily takes the form of cheese as an ingredient in meal preparation. As in previous years, the DMI cheese television advertising campaign was recognized for creative excellence, winning numerous awards.
As in previous years, the cheese marketing effort included major retail co-marketing programs implemented in supermarkets representing more than 60 percent of U.S. retail grocery sales volume. These accounts included large national accounts like Kroger, Wal-Mart Supercenters, Safeway, and Albertsons. In these efforts, DMI provides retailer-customized media (television, radio, or direct mail) and in-store sampling, which are combined with the retailer’s own advertising and merchandising support to drive cheese sales. Research has consistently shown that these co-marketing programs contribute to increased cheese category volume in participating stores. In foodservice, DMI continued to implement trade advertising and public relations campaigns to keep cheese top-of-mind with restaurant operators. The trade print advertising is listed in Table 1-1. In July 2002, DMI announced its second annual Cheese Advisory Panel (CAP), comprised of six up-and-coming chefs from around the country, to spotlight American cow’s milk cheeses. CAP members participated in a series of activities aimed at increasing awareness of high-quality American cheese and cheesemakers.
DMI also worked closely with top national restaurant chains, including Taco Bell ®, Pizza Hut ®, and Wendy’s ®, to drive cheese volume and ensure that cheese was prominently featured in menu items. For example, DMI staff assisted Taco Bell ® with consumer research and trend data to demonstrate the value and appeal that three cheeses would deliver to Quesadilla consumers. As a result, Taco Bell ® developed and launched a new Steak Quesadilla item, which featured a blend of Cheddar, Pepper Jack, and Mozzarella cheeses. The item used an average of eight times more cheese than other items on their menu. Taco Bell ® used television, print, the Internet, and in-store advertising to support the promotion. Also, DMI worked with Pizza Hut ®, who declared summer 2002 the Summer of Cheese. The promotion, which ran for 12 weeks, featured the reintroduction of Stuffed Crust and Insider pizzas. The Summer of Cheese culminated with Pizza Hut’s cheese usage increasing +4 percent during the promotion period and by 102 million pounds of cheese during the entire summer. And, for the fourth straight year, Wendy’s ® restaurant re- introduced its popular Cheddar Lovers’ Bacon Cheeseburger sandwich. During the 4-week promotion period, Wendy’s ® sold more than 12 million sandwiches, each featuring two slices of Cheddar cheese and a Cheddar sauce. The promotion used nearly 1.5 million pounds of cheese, and the chain’s cheese use grew by 15 percent, compared to the same time period a year ago. DMI assisted Wendy’s ® with the development of this cheese-friendly sandwich in 1999.
When you’re done reading that, click on over to the Nutrition.Gov and see how many of these products fit into the recommendations for a healthy diet. (While you’re there check out the section on vegetarian diets.)
Taco Bell Steak Quesadilla – nutrition info here
Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust Pizza – nutrition info here
Cheddar Lovers’ Bacon Cheeseburger – (nutrition information no longer available)
In case you don’t see how that works out … dairy producers, through the USDA, teamed up with private corporations to push more cheese on the public through the promotion of products that don’t fit into the governments own recommendations for a healthy diet. This is, of course, the point where someone will start saying that people are responsible for what they eat, not the government, all things are fine in moderation, etc. That would be a fine position if the government weren’t working to induce cheese cravings in people. If it’s not the governments business then the government should stay out of the business of manipulating consumer appetites.
… postscript … This seems like pushing cigarettes because there are people who are invested in growing tobacco while at the same time warning people not to smoke. What kind of sense does that make?
Resources for further reading:
“Breaking the Food Seduction” , Neal Barnard, Md. 2004
“Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health“, Marion Nestle 2007
