Introduce Milk Made Better to consumers in the Northeast market for Suiza Foods and Garelick Farms by developing consumer events and implementing media relations efforts.

BSMG Worldwide developed a plan to generate excitement around the introduction and educate consumers on Milk Made Better, kidsmilk, fitmilk and lifemilk.  

STRATEGY

Phase I of the public relations plan focused on media relations for the product introduction to the market (January 10 – February 1).  This allowed time for consumers to become acquainted with the three new milks prior to the consumer events.  

Phase II focused on a series of consumer events to generate excitement and educate consumers on the products. The events included Garelick Farms kidsmilk Ice Sculpture at Quincy Market from February 11 – 14; Children’s Hospital and Customer Skates with Disney on Ice Characters at the Fleet Center on February 19 and 26; sponsorship of the Museum of Science exhibit Reptiles! Real and Robotic; partnership with Children’s Hospital, Boston; and, Sports Made Better with Kristi Yamaguchi at Frog Pond on Boston Common on February 24.

Press kits containing a calcium backgrounder, executive biographies and nutritionist biography, product fact sheet, DairyField and Forbes re-prints, product photographs and announcement news release were distributed to the media on January 5, 2000 for the January 10, 2000 launch.  Product also was delivered with a press kit to select radio and television stations by 7 a.m. on January 10.  Media used the product for article photographs and as props on the evening news.

Weekly and monthly publications and television morning shows were contacted two to three weeks prior to the launch with an embargo in order to meet their early deadlines.

MEDIA COVERAGE: 

Garelick Farms received media coverage from the major newspapers, radio and television stations from January 10 – April 10.  Total impressions are estimated to be more than 5.2 million.

Media coverage included WCVB-TV Channel 5 (ABC), WHDH-TV Channel 7 (NBC), WFXT-TV Channel 25 (FOX), WLVI-TV Channel 56 (WB), WQSX-FM 93.7, WMJX-FM 106.7, WEIM-AM 1280, Advertising Age, The Metrowest Daily News, Milford Daily News, The Call, The Patriot Ledger, Malden Evening News, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, The Daily Free Press, Milton Record-Transcript, Beacon Hill/Back Bay Chronicle, Medfield Press, Kingston Reporter, Keene Sentinel, Concord Monitor, Needham Times,  the Cranston Herald, Dairy Dollars and Dairy Field.

CONSUMER EVENTS:

Garelick Farms kidsmilk Ice Sculpture

The kidsmilk Ice Sculpture, a 20 foot high ice sculpture of a kidsmilk SmartJug displaying Garelick Farms, kidsmilk and Suiza logos, was sculpted and displayed over a four-day period in the West End of Quincy Market from February 11-14.

The purpose of the four-day event was to attract attention of consumers and to educate them on kidsmilk, fitmilk and lifemilk.  To promote Sports Made Better and other consumer events, banners were posted in Quincy Market; radio tags were developed with two partnering radio stations; a media advisory was distributed to media, and media follow up calls were made.  

On-site, ambassadors distributed samples, product brochures and Sports Made Better promotion fliers; two radio stations were on-site for remotes with live feeds; consumers brought kidsmilk, fitmilk or lifemilk caps to help raise money for  Children’s Hospital of Boston (Garelick Farms donated $.67 cents for each cap collected), and attendees registered to win a chance to skate with Kristi Yamaguchi at the Sports Made Better event.  

Children’s Hospital Skate with Disney on Ice Characters

Garelick Farms partnered with Disney on Ice to provide an opportunity for 30 children and from Children’s Hospital to skate with Disney on Ice characters at The Fleet Center on February 19.  

The 30 children skated with the Disney characters for approximately 30 minutes and then attended a private brunch with their families with face painters, balloon artists and magicians prior to attending the noon performance of Disney on Ice – 75 Years of Magic.  

Garelick Farms also presented a $6,700 check to Children’s Hospital from the caps collected at the kidsmilk Ice Sculpture event.

Garelick Customer Skate with Disney on Ice Characters

Garelick Farms invited key customers and their families to skate with Disney on Ice Characters on February 26.

Customer’s children skated with the Disney characters for approximately 30 minutes and then attended a private brunch with their families with face painters, balloon artists and magicians prior to attending the noon performance of Disney on Ice – 75 Years of Magic.  

Sponsorship of the Museum of Science exhibit Reptiles! Real and Robotic

In an effort to reinforce the launch of kidsmilk, Garelick Farms sponsored the Museum of Science exhibit Reptiles! Real and Robotic.  To tie the product launch with the exhibit sponsorship, Gary the Gecko was developed (a life-size costume of a gecko with a kidsmilk t-shirt).  An ambassador accompanied the gecko at all times to talk to consumers about kidsmilk, fitmilk and lifemilk and the upcoming Sports Made Better event.

Garelick Farms executives announced the sponsorship at a press preview on January 27 that was attended by 18 media representatives.  Photographs of Gary the Gecko were taken with children visiting the exhibit throughout opening weekend, and distributed to appropriate community newspapers with a customized press release.

Coverage included the Cranston Herald, Kingston Reporter, Lynnfield Villager, Medfield Suburban Press, Milton Record-Transcript, and Needham Times.  The Boston Globe and Boston Herald ran feature stories about the exhibit opening.

Partnership with Children’s Hospital, Boston

Garelick Farms hosted a reception in honor of Children’s Hospital runners in the Boston marathon on April 15, 2000.  Executives announced that Garelick Farms will donate $.10 to Children’s Hospital for every kidsmilk jug purchased from June 1 – December 31.  Media relations will be ongoing throughout the year to publicize the partnership and the total amount donated to the hospital.

Sports Made Better

Garelick Farms hosted Sports Made Better on February 24, 2000 at Frog Pond on Boston Common with Kristi Yamaguchi, Olympic Gold Medallist and Milk Mustache Celebrity.    

The event included a private lunch with the contest winners, local media, the Mayor, Garelick Farms and Suiza Foods executives, and Kristi Yamaguchi. Following the lunch, the tent was transformed into a kid’s fun center with jugglers, magicians and face painters and opened to the public. Between 1 and 3 p.m. Kristi Yamaguchi skated with the 12 contest winners and performed for the attendees.  Garelick Farms also presented a $7,500 check to the Mayor for the Frog Pond Foundation during the event.

Major print and broadcast media attended and covered the event.  Media includes the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, The Patriot Ledger, Beacon Hill-Back Bay Chronicle, The Daily Free Press, WCVB-TV Channel 5 (ABC) and WHDH-TV Channel 7 (NBC).

MEASUREMENT OF SUCCESS:

After the introduction of Milk Made Better there was a market share increase of 4%, from 3% to 7% on a 22 billion dollar category.