DAIRY PLANS '3-A-DAY' CAMPAIGN FOR KIDS

LYNNE MILLER

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Borrowing a few ideas from the successful 5 A Day produce campaign, the dairy industry is about to roll out a major new marketing initiative that aims to boost consumption of milk, yogurt and cheese.

To encourage three servings of dairy a day, the multi-year campaign, dubbed "3-A-Day," will target mothers of young children. Print advertisements in national consumer magazines, mailings to consumers, point-of-sale materials in supermarkets and seemingly ubiquitous images of the new red-white-and-blue logo will get the message across. Featuring the words "3-A-Day For Stronger Bones," with images of milk, cheese and yogurt, the logo will appear on 1 billion packages of dairy products from major manufacturers and processors, including Kraft and Sargento cheese, Breyers yogurt and Marva Maid milk.

"That's a lot of impressions at stores where moms are making purchasing decisions and trying to figure out how to feed their family and do it in a healthful way," said Kevin Burkum, senior vice president of retail marketing for Dairy Marketing Inc., Rosemont, Ill., which created the program in conjunction with the National Dairy Council.

Kroger, Ahold USA, Wal-Mart and other retailers have agreed to support the checkoff-funded program, Burkum said. In some markets, consumers will find products of fered at special prices in the dairy case. Retailers will send mailers to loyalty card holders, conduct in-store promotions and sponsor radio advertising. School children will find 3-A-Day tips on school milk cartons.

The industry will make a big push to get the word out during 3-A-Day Week, slated for March 3-9, 2003.

"As an industry, we want to own the number 3," Burkum said.

The initiative is not sitting well with the creators of the 5 A Day for Better Health produce campaign, however. A number of industry groups, including the United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association; the Produce for Better Health Foundation; and the National Cancer Institute have all joined to try and keep the organizers of the dairy campaign from using the servings-per-day theme the produce industry adopted more than 10 years ago.

Additionally, attorneys representing NCI are investigating whether the 3 A Day slogan violates the trademark secured by the 5 A Day campaign.

"We believe that consumers will be misled to believe that the '3 A Day' campaign is endorsed by the same public health partners as '5 A Day' and is based on the same high standards," said Tom Stenzl, president of Washington--based United, in a news release.

While critics allege the dairy industry developed 3 A Day as a simple marketing campaign, DMI noted that even the U.S. government acknowledges there is a calcium crisis, particularly among the nation's schoolchildren.

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture research, 75% of Americans are not getting enough calcium in their diets, and they're not aware of the deficit. Most Americans only consume half of the two to three servings a day of milk, yogurt and cheese, as recommended by the USDA in its food pyramid guidelines.

"Our focus is on moms, and what they serve their children, but it's a broad message to appeal across various consumer targets," Burkum of DMI said.