CHICKEN MONTH TO TAKE FLIGHT WITH NEW MARKETING TACTICS

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. -- The National Broiler Council is flexing its marketing muscles with new tactics for its annual National Chicken Month promotion, scheduled for September.

ping, said Gold Kist's director of marketing Greg Moore, who spoke at the National Broiler Council marketing seminar here.

"This year we have added a two-tiered co-op promotion," Moore told attendees.

"As one of the centerpieces of the National Chicken Month Promotion, Strausser Production has been successful in gathering support from six leading packaged-goods companies for a two- tiered co-op promotion that includes a magazine insert," he said.

"The sponsors are Kikkoman, Knorr Gravy Classics, Frank's RedHot, Mrs. Dash, Birds Eye Easy Recipe for Chicken and Campbell's Red & White Label Soup."

Another vital part of the promotion is the insertion of ten million "In-Packs" into fresh chicken packages during the month of September, Moore said.

"In addition to these coupons requiring the purchase of the specific food product that is a companion to chicken, most of the coupons also require the purchase of chicken," he said.

Producers who have agreed to participate include Perdue, Pilgrim's Pride, Foster Farms, Claxton, Gold'n Plump, Pederson Fryer Farms, Townsends, Zacky Farms, Wampler-Longacre and Mountaire Farms.

Among other new promotional materials, there is also "a new mobile which is very simple to hang, but should be very effective in attracting shoppers."

Moore urged poultry suppliers to work with retailers on maximizing the promotion's potential. "We need to ask our retail grocery accounts to feature chicken the entire month of September and to install full-color posters and railcards in the meat department.

"We need to sponsor local marketing initiatives to gain retailer support for National Chicken Month like radio and newspaper ads," Moore added.

As the seventh anniversary of the National Chicken Month promotion approaches, Moore invoked its previous successes. "It's a proven way to generate increased consumer awareness of chicken and reward purchases. It extends our peak summer selling season for chicken by developing partnership promotions and features with our retail and food-service customers.

"For the retailers, National Chicken Month generates increased store and meat department traffic," he continued.

"And the magazine insert coupons are going to increase purchase of chicken as well as the various branded products of the participating companies."

Moore also emphasized the importance of food-service involvement. "There is plenty of material to work with for both types of customers," he said.