Florida Beef Council Preparing for Next Year’s Checkoff Programs
The Florida Beef Council is working to ensure next year’s checkoff programs remain effective and impactful. We spoke with Deanne Maples with the Florida Beef Council to learn more about their year-end efforts and planning process. As Deanne explained, “We’re coming to the end of wrapping up a great year. We run a calendar year in our organization and so we start in January end in December and so we’re getting close to that time where we’re wrapping things up.”
This time of year is crucial for evaluating recent programs and organizing future strategies. According to Deanne, “We’re looking at budgets and finances, evaluating the programs we’ve done for the year and looking ahead to programs for the next year as well, what’s going to make that marketing plan and how we do the best use, the best efficiency with that beef checkoff dollar.”
A key part of this season is the arrival of the annual compliance mailer. Deanne noted, “And that checkoff dollar, having said that, this is also the time of year that some of your listeners may be finding a compliance. We call it the compliance mailer.” She added that the reminder helps ensure private treaty sales are reported: “If you sold some cattle this year through a private treaty… and you didn’t get your beef checkoff paid, we want to remind you to get those dollars in.”
The mailer includes a simple form that producers can return with the appropriate payment. “If you’ve sold all throughout the year and you’ve just gotten busy and you’ve forgotten… just add them all up and drop it in the mail to us.” And for those who no longer own cattle or didn’t sell any this year, Deanne offered reassurance: “If you didn’t sell any cattle, just ignore that letter. You can fold it up and toss it in your trash because it doesn’t really apply to you.”
Looking ahead, the Florida Beef Council continues adapting to reach today’s consumers. With “23 million consumers” in the state and a “very, very, very, very limited checkoff budget,” strategic communication is essential. That includes TV and print media outreach, as well as partnerships with dietitians, physicians, restaurants, and culinarians. As Deanne emphasized, “We have so many places that we need to keep the beef message present. And we can do that only through those beef checkoff dollars.”
The Florida Beef Council’s work ensures beef remains top-of-mind in a rapidly changing consumer landscape.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.