Dairy Processing - January/February 2023 - 10

52% of TikTok
marketers say they
plan to spend more
money on the
platform in 2023.
Capterra
could generate this sort of attention for
dairy, and young consumers trust him
when he talks about how well farmers
care for the environment and their cows. "
GOING VIRAL
DFA's Nerd Herd
campaign aims to tell
consumers about its
farmer-owners'
sustainability initiatives.
DMI is credited with the viral butter board trend.
The " butter board " food craze that has become
a viral sensation is rooted in dairy checkoff
strategy. This is part of what the checkoff's
modern marketing strategy looks like.
DMI assembled a " Dairy Dream Team "
consisting of chefs, recipe developers, " foodies, "
gamers and lifestyle influencers who have a
combined 25 million social media followers. They
are joined by another 100-plus influencers who
work with state and regional checkoff teams and
are tasked with presenting unique recipes and
ways dairy can be enjoyed by consumers.
" This is where the 'butter board' craze
originated and created a lightning-strike moment
for dairy, " Schaffner said. " A TikTok video featuring
steps to create a butter board was produced by
'Dream Team' member Justine Doiron, who showed
how using multiple sticks of soft butter can be
mixed with ingredients, such as vegetables, in a
fashion similar to a charcuterie board. Dorion's post
went viral, generating millions of views and national
media coverage, and inspired people to post their
own butter board versions on TikTok, Instagram
and other social media channels. "
That wasn't the only successful social media
strategy of 2022 for the dairy checkoff, Schaffner
said.
" We also took advantage of the popular social
media trend 'hacks' and worked with influential
social media personalities to showcase their
creative ways dairy can be hacked, " she said.
" We partnered with humorous food-obsessed
influencers who have well into the millions
of followers on channels such as TikTok and
YouTube. TikTok influencers such as @newt (9.4
million followers), @liamslunchbox (4.2
million), @moribyan (3.9 million) and @mishas_
kitchen (842,000 followers) shared how their
followers can enjoy dairy in ways they may have
never thought possible. "
MARKETING SUSTAINABLY
According to Jenny Hofeditz, vice president
of public relations and marketing for Dairy
Farmers of America (DFA), dairy farmers have
been on a sustainability journey long before it
was a buzzword with consumers.
" They're always thinking about the next
sustainable effort or technology for their farm,
because taking care of the land, their animals and
the air and water around them means preserving
the farm to be here for the next generation, "
she said.
As DFA continued to see increasing interest
from consumers in knowing more about where
their food comes from, coupled with growing
expectations for brands to take a stand and
provide proof of their socially and environmentally
responsible behavior, Hofeditz said it saw a need
to communicate dairy's positive story and began
doing research to develop a campaign concept.
Hence, the Nerd Herd campaign.
" The Nerd Herd campaign was born out of
these research insights, and centers on helping
tell consumers about our farmer-owners'
sustainability initiatives, while also inspiring
consumer confidence in enjoying their favorite
dairy products, " she said. " As we continue to
evolve the campaign to ensure we are reaching
10 JAN-FEB 2023 | DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
Dairy Farmers of America
http://www.DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
Dairy Processing - January/February 2023

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