KEARNEY - Radio broadcasts of Husker sports events, particularly football, draw big audiences in Nebraska.
But do Nebraska Beef Council-funded ads in those broadcasts sell more beef?

Council board members discussed that question in Kearney as they worked on a budget for fiscal year 2009, which begins Oct. 1. They heard funding requests Monday and made project-by-project decisions Tuesday.

"With the cost of everything rising, they took even a closer look at every (request) ... asking if it is strengthening beef demand," said Beef Council Executive Director Ann Marie Bosshamer of Amherst.

The evaluation system included having the nine directors use colored stickers on forms to rate each request on costs and benefits.

The $190,042 contract with Husker Sports Network was approved on a 5-4 vote.

Director Lin Jeffres of Burwell said the ads are a great producer communications tool, even though they're in the promotions part of the budget.

"Husker football is about the only thing almost everyone listens to" in a time with so many choices in media and other entertainment, said Director Dave Wright of Neligh.

The question for other board members is if those listeners really need encouragement to eat beef.
"Your diehard Nebraska fans are going to listen," said Director J.D. Alexander of Pilger. "Your diehard Nebraska fans are also pretty good beef eaters."

So, the ads aren't necessarily hitting what should be the target audience, he said.

Directors acknowledged that it's difficult to quantify the effectiveness of such advertising, but some still would have liked better feedback Monday from Husker Sports Network representative Matt Davison.

The package approach for the contract also was discussed. "It would be nice if we could break it out ... I'd like to pick up pieces," said Director Craig Uden of Elwood.

He said he was OK with the Husker Sports Network plan, but would vote no because of concerns about accountability. Also voting no were Alexander, Ann Bruntz of Friend and Bill Rhea III of Arlington.
"If this is a sacred cow, then declare it a sacred cow. It's not a sacred cow to me," Alexander said.
Voting to approve the contract were Wright, Charlie Hamilton of Ellsworth, Dave Hamilton of Thedford, Jeffres and Chairman Mark Spurgin of Paxton.

The overall budget for FY2009 anticipates gross assessments - a checkoff of $1 is collected when a beef animal is sold - of $9.8 million. Bosshamer said $10.2 million was estimated in the current fiscal year budget, but the final total likely will be less.

Checkoff dollars are invested in research, promotion, consumer information, industry information, foreign marketing and producer communication. The goal is to strengthen beef demand in domestic and foreign markets.

The Nebraska council remits collections for out-of-state cattle to other state councils, and that total is estimated at $2.25 million next fiscal year. Half the balance then goes to the national Cattlemen's Beef Board.

Of Nebraska's half, Bosshamer said 45 percent (about $1.7 million for FY2009) traditionally goes to the federation of state beef councils and $650,000 is earmarked for international marketing through the U.S. Meat Export Federation.

Council operating expenses, director expenses and collection (Nebraska Brand Committee) expenses are budgeted at $735,000.

The single biggest program-project expenditure approved Tuesday was $194,500 to NRG Media for 22 weeks of consumer marketing on its central and eastern Nebraska radio stations that reach the majority of the state's population.

Options not funded included Husker sports coverage that would have duplicated some of the reach of Husker Sports Network and two billboards in Omaha.

There was general agreement that it's good to have billboards in Nebraska's largest city and along or near Interstate 80. However, the current national "beefscapes" ads don't work well on billboards.

"The artwork (landscapes created of beef and other foods) doesn't have the stopping power for a billboard," Bosshamer said.

Spurgin said the new information-based ads don't trigger impulse buying in the same way as older "Why Man Created Fire" ads. Bosshamer agreed, but said the council can't use the old artwork.

"I agree we probably don't have the best billboard," Alexander said, but the answer in not to abandon the idea and key locations, but "get better billboards."

He said more needs to be done to promote beef at events coming to Omaha - Olympic swimming trials, NCAA basketball regionals, College World Series - that draw crowds from across the country. "I'm not creative enough to know how, but we've gotta somehow take advantage of this," Alexander said.

Bosshamer said she contacted the Omaha Sports Council, which coordinates the events, but hadn't had a response.