Sports and dairy make a great combination. Dairy products, especially milk, provide excellent nutritional benefits and hydration and are a popular choice for post-exercise recovery. In addition to promoting dairy’s nutritional benefits, Midwest Dairy highlights dairy’s sustainability story and connects consumers with the farmers behind the products. Midwest Dairy partners with athletes and sports teams to engage with enthusiastic sports fans on their home turf.
Closing out the season with the St. Paul Saints
Midwest Dairy partnered with the St. Paul Saints this summer, and as the season drew to a close, the partnership continued to drive home dairy messaging to baseball fans through in-game activations.
During the September 19 game, Rachel Visser, the 71st Princess Kay of the Milky Way, threw out the first pitch. Afterward, she gave a live radio interview discussing her first month as Princess Kay and highlighted her work as the goodwill ambassador for Minnesota’s dairy farmers. Dairy sustainability messaging was shared through live ads during the game. The roughly 6,000 attendees at this Undeniably Dairy game included a University of Minnesota CFANS section sponsored by Midwest Dairy, bringing additional focus to the Gen Z demographic interested in learning more about dairy’s sustainability story.
Missouri Farmers Care hosts dairy farmers at Cardinals game
Midwest Dairy and Missouri Farmers Care (MFC) joined forces at the June 23 St. Louis Cardinals game, which attracted 37,492 fans. Dairy farmer Bethany Bloss of Sarcoxie, Missouri, threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game with the San Francisco Giants. MFC recently published a profile article about Bloss’s advocacy for animal health and shared it on Facebook.
During Bloss’s first pitch, a public announcement showcased Missouri farming families’ pride in caring for their animals, producing healthy and delicious food, and engaging in sustainable practices. The first 10,000 fans ages 15 and younger received a complimentary growth poster featuring Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar to commemorate their gameday experience. The giveaway was one of several components of the 2024 Race to the Plate campaign aimed at building consumer trust. Following the opening ceremonies, Midwest Dairy hosted dairy farmer guests and online influencer friends in a suite at Busch Stadium.
Team Milk tailgates with Minnesota Gophers fans
The September 21 University of Minnesota (U of M) football game also had a strong Midwest Dairy presence. With the goal of building trust with Gen Z, checkoff promoted sustainability, cow care, and nutrition awareness to Golden Gophers fans.
The U of M hosted a Fan Fest in the Gopher Garden, where booths offered fans games, swag, and other treats. Midwest Dairy used “Gonna Need Milk for That” signage, swag, and an engaging trivia game with a Plinko board to attract tailgaters to the booth. Midway through the pre-game festivities, a flash rainstorm broke out, bringing people together under tents and markedly increasing demand for “Gonna Need Milk for That” drying towels. Overall, the Undeniably Dairy tent engaged approximately 600 consumers.
During the game, Undeniably Dairy messaging was displayed on the big screen, accompanied by live ads about dairy sustainability. With over 52,000 fans in attendance, this message reached the tenth-largest crowd in Huntington Bank Stadium’s history.
Midwest Dairy resources and work shared at Nebraska tailgate
As a Nebraska State Dairy Association (NSDA) fie-star partner, Midwest Dairy was invited to participate in the Nebraska Dairy Tailgate held before the Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Northern Iowa Panthers football game on September 14 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The tailgate allowed Midwest Dairy staff to share various resources with dairy farmers and explain how Midwest Dairy is working on their behalf. The table displayed resources about checkoff’s work in research, trust, the Huskers Partnership, the Adopt A Cow program, and other helpful information. Also available were Undeniably Dairy gifts such as cow print bandanas and clear bags filled with checkoff messaging that could be sported at the game.
In addition to plenty of food and drinks, there was excellent networking and engagement among the dairy farmers, advocates, and industry leaders. Over 75 farm families and their friends participated in the tailgate.