ALBERTSONS TO SPONSOR 2003 BEEF COOK-OFF

Lynne Miller

BOISE, Idaho -- Albertsons has rounded up a number of successful promotional ideas as it returns as primary sponsor for the 2003 National Beef Cook-Off, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

The event is held every two years and is organized by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the American National CattleWomen.

As the principal retail conduit for the contest, Albertsons is planning to distribute contest entries, hand out winning beef recipes, conduct in-store cooking demonstrations and teach consumers new ways to cook a variety of beef cuts, chain officials said.

In the months leading up to the finalists competition in September, store associates in the meat departments will spend more time interacting with consumers and providing ideas on cooking techniques, they told SN. As sponsor, Albertsons will have a chance to foster an image of greater customer service in the meat department.

"Our customers are always telling us they want ideas," said Kip Gruell, vice president, meat merchandising and procurement.

At the same time, the promotional hoopla generates additional sales. Officials from Albertsons declined to comment on the sales impact from the company's sponsorship in 2001, the last time the contest was held. Industry sources, however, noted the retailer saw a 12% lift in sales over a two-day period in September 2001 vs. the same time period a year earlier. On those two days, cooking demos showcasing some of the award-winning recipes were conducted at more than 1,700 stores.

This year, "what we're expecting is a positive increase, like any promotion," Gruell said.

Albertsons plans to use some of the same promotional strategies that worked in 2001, such as including the 2001 finalists' winning recipes in its monthly "Big Book" promotional pamphlet and quarterly recipe brochures handed out in the meat departments. The cook-off will be featured in the retailer's ads.

All of the retailer's divisions will take part in the promotion, which will culminate in September when 20 national finalists compete for more than $100,000 in prize money in Ft. Worth, Texas. Albertsons' stores in that market will schedule appropriate events at the time of the contest, Gruell said.

The cooking contest has also enlisted support from Grady Spears, Texas chef and author of "A Cowboy in the Kitchen," "Cowboy Cocktails" and "The Great Steak Book." As the official spokesman for the contest, Spears will provide culinary expertise.

Amateur cooks can submit recipes in one of four categories: one-dish meals; grilled beef; handheld kid pleasers; and quick-and-easy beef. In a nod to today's generation of time-pressed cooks, contest rules require recipes with no more than eight ingredients. Albertsons' stores will have 175,000 entry brochures to distribute, and cooks have until March 31 to enter the contest.

The 2001 cook-off marked the first time contest officials accepted recipe submissions through the Internet. That vehicle was a clear winner -- officials saw a 100% increase in entries, with two-thirds of the nearly 5,000 recipes submitted electronically. Officials hope to see an increase again this year. To generate entries, cook-off officials have partnered with Allrecipes.com, a recipe Web site with a link to the cook-off site, www.beefcookoff.org.