March 2010

DAIRY CHECKOFF UPDATE  

A periodic report for dairy media demonstrating how Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) and affiliated state and regional promotion organizations work to increase demand for and sales of U.S.-produced dairy products and ingredients through the programs of the American Dairy Association®, National Dairy Council® and U.S. Dairy Export Council®. For more information about these and other dairy checkoff programs, please contact Jennifer Wing at (847) 627-3225 or jennifer.wing@rosedmi.com.            

Dairy Producers Invited to Participate in Social Media Webinar  

Dairy producers who use Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to stay connected with family and friends, and producers who want to learn about these tools, are encouraged to participate in a free 90-minute webinar on Thursday, April 15 to learn how these applications can be used to share positive dairy stories and communicate with consumers about modern dairy farming practices.  

Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI), which manages the national dairy checkoff program, launched the myDairy Social Media program in 2009 to help dairy producers and dairy enthusiasts use social media proactively to share their dairy stories and counter negative or misleading information about the dairy industry. The myDairy program currently mobilizes over 1,000 dairy enthusiasts from across the country to engage in social media networks, building a strong, positive online dairy presence to help counter misinformation and maintain public confidence in dairy foods and the people who produce them. The myDairy program provides tips to navigate and use popular social media sites, along with key messages to incorporate into dairy stories, and opportunities to connect with other dairy enthusiasts and the general public.  

“Consumers want to hear about the dairy industry first hand from dairy producers and social media provides an opportunity to communicate effectively with a large audience via one platform,” said David Pelzer, senior vice president of strategic communications at DMI.  

The myDairy webinar will discuss why social media is a powerful communication tool, highlight the most popular applications and provide examples of dairy enthusiasts’ online conversations.  

To register for the webinar and/or to become a myDairy advocate and learn more about the program, email myDairy@rosedmi.com.