Beef Checkoff Campaign Boosts Sales Through E-Commerce

By Scout Nelson

The Kansas Beef Council (KBC) supported a beef checkoff-funded e-commerce advertising campaign to reach consumers who increasingly make purchasing decisions online before visiting a grocery store. The campaign placed beef promotions on a major national retailer’s website and mobile app to connect with shoppers during the buying process.

The campaign featured Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. advertisements that highlighted beef’s taste, nutritional value, and versatility. The goal was to encourage consumers to purchase beef while strengthening confidence in beef products.

Funding came from beef checkoff investments nationwide, including contributions from Kansas producers. In addition to the national effort, KBC invested in a separate advertising campaign specifically targeting Kansas consumers to generate state-level results.

A major advantage of the campaign was its ability to track actual sales rather than relying only on impressions or views. The participating retailer could determine which households saw the advertisements and what products they purchased afterward.

Nationally, the campaign generated 49.8 million impressions and was linked to $108.3 million in attributable beef sales. These results demonstrated the significant impact digital advertising can have on consumer purchasing behavior.

Researchers also compared shoppers who viewed the advertisements with a similar group that did not. The analysis found $15.7 million in incremental beef sales, producing a return of $32.38 for every checkoff dollar invested.

Kansas-specific advertising efforts also delivered strong results. The campaign generated 4,074,720 impressions and contributed to $12.7 million in attributable beef sales within the state.

The results highlight how digital marketing can help the beef industry adapt to changing consumer habits. By reaching shoppers online and measuring real purchasing activity, KBC and the beef checkoff program continue to promote beef consumption and maximize producer investments.

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