KENTUCKY BEEF COUNCIL
Alison Smith, Retail and Foodservice & Janine Faber, MEd, RDN, LD, KBC Contractor I have heard it said that word of mouth is the best form of communication. It’s powerful! The majority of people go to their friends and family for recommendations. And now days one person can influence hundreds of people with just one click. That’s why KBC invests check-off dollars in influence(r) marketing. Cross-collaboration is key! Influence(r) marketing takes time and requires building relationships with not only the influencers, but also with the audience. So, how is KBC doing this? First, we focus on the folks that influence others. KBC has developed several partnerships with key influencers. For the annual Kentucky Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics conference this Spring, the Kentucky Beef Council sponsored nationally recognized dietitian, Liz Weiss, MS, RDN for her presentation on How to Deliver Globally Inspired Cooking Demonstrations on Zoom and other Virtual Platforms. In her presentation for Kentucky dietitians, Liz identified why cooking demos and classes can build consumer confidence in the kitchen and trigger behavior change for healthier eating patterns. Then, she outlined the steps required to hold a cooking demonstration for various virtual venues and audiences. She concluded with demonstrating a virtual cooking class while making a nutrient-rich recipe for Kofta Beef Power Bowls which the 25 participants enjoyed! The registrants were provided Beef Swag boxes with Kentucky Beef Council goodies for attending. On Monday, March 22nd, registered dietitian Janine Faber, MEd, RDN, LD provided a cooking demonstration and presentation for 23 participants to celebrate National Nutrition Month. Janine highlighted the “Personalize Your Plate” National Nutrition Month message by making Spicy Korean Beef and Cucumber Appetizers and Liz’s Kofta Beef Power Bowls. Janine ended the virtual program with a presentation on the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and how lean beef fits in to the recommendations for different life stages. Additionally, outreach to health professionals was also done through
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eblasts. The Kentucky Beef Council sponsored messages sent to Kentucky Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ members and Kentucky Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ members. These eblasts shared new diabetes research with lean beef, discussed how lean beef fits into the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, promoted the upcoming healthcare professional webinar on Growing Up Strong: Prioritizing Critical Nutrients from Birth to Adolescence, and provided lean beef recipes from Beef It’s What’s For Dinner to celebrate Beef Month and National Mediterranean Diet Month in May.
Third, KBC continues works directly with foodie and lifestyle influencers on social media to provide education and inspiration. Rachel, of Rachel’s Healthy Plate, shares her kid-friendly dishes with her Instagram audience to help show how beef can be incorporated into the early years. While Karen, The Mrs. K Ray, shares a different take on spring rolls with steak in her “how to” post on Instagram. Dr. Chris Mohr, of Mohr Results, not only hosted a webinar focusing on The Role of Beef, Protein, and Exercise, but he will share those
messages on his Instagram account. Although KBC has not be able to attend in-person events to have those one-onone conversations, we have hosted four Virtual Beef Cooking Classes where an average of twenty-five attendees get a personal behind-the-scenes look at roasting, skilleting, creating healthy beef dishes, as well as entertaining. Even though word-of-mouth looks a little different, it can still go a long way in sharing our great message about how beef is delicious, nutritious, and sustainable.
Second, KBC continues to build Team Beef, which is a group of beef-loving runners and cyclists who spread the word about the power of beef in an active lifestyle as they get out and get active. The 2021 season launched in January opening it up to cyclists. To date, thirtyseven runners and cyclists have joined the team. As part of their membership, participants complete an orientation scavenger hunt of kybeef.com and BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com to better understand beef from pasture to plate. Team member, Nichole of Nicholasville said, “That was so fun. I learned a lot already about cattle.” Eight of the 37 have received their Masters of Beef Advocacy certificate and 4 have completed the Raw Truth about Beef courses. Members can earn race reimbursements by participating in educational events such as our virtual cooking classes, online webinars, etc. and running/cycling in KY Team Beef-approved races. Folks can still join through May 31 by registering at https://www.kybeef.com/healthwellness/team-beef/application.
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