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New college competition will support future dairy messaging

Michigan’s dairy checkoff says a new collegiate marketing competition will help drive future outreach projects.

Ryan Makuch with the United Dairy Industry of Michigan tells Brownfield students at Grand Valley State University, Michigan State University, and Western Michigan University were challenged to build trust and increase dairy sales with Generation Z consumers, those born between 1997-2012.

“We are looking into having some of the proposed ideas as events on campus and we are trying to figure out which could make sense this calendar year or at the start of the next school year,” he explains.

The winning team from Western Michigan University focused on nostalgia and how “dairy takes you home.”  Makuch says the Grandma’s House idea could be used on campuses for welcome weeks, finals, and other events.

“We would build up sort of a structure that would look like Grandma’s house with all different cookies and milk,” he explains.

The semester-long project also introduced students to dairy farmers, provided virtual farm tours, and conducted research on college campuses.

The checkoff partnered with the Campus Commandos marketing firm for the project and plans to continue the competition.