Midwest Dairy’s partnership with Runza leverages checkoff dollars to drive dairy sales while also connecting consumers to dairy’s farm-to-table story. In April 2024, Midwest Dairy partnered with Runza National, an 88-unit quick-service restaurant chain in Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri, to promote the reinvention of its milkshake offerings.
For an improved customer experience, the new shakes transitioned from a standard paper cup and flat lid to a clear cup with a modern dome lid, allowing for the addition of whipped cream to the top of each shake. In addition to the shake update, Runza featured the Malena and Held families, who run a multi-generational dairy farm near Leigh, Nebraska. Runza produced customized in-store point-of-purchase materials, social media posts, email blasts, and product photos showcasing these farm families and their stories.
Runza is dedicated to quality ingredients in all its menu items and supporting local farmers. This campaign brought to life local farm families behind the quality shakes they offer while promoting new dairy offerings to boost sales. From April through August 2024, Runza sold 53,093 more shakes than the previous year, generating over 4.3 million consumer impressions. Runza continues to innovate with seasonal, limited-time shake offerings to close the year.