Milk means more. More than just good taste and great nutrition. The dairy industry has known that for a long time, but have consumers? It always helps to remind them.
Using a direct approach, United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM) decided to re-brand its milk promotional efforts in a way that conveys more purposefully the meaning of dairy. Not just to individuals, but to families, groups and communities – those who derive benefit physically, socially and economically from the work of dairy farmers.
On April 23, UDIM officially unveiled new “Milk Means More” brand on its website. It’s part of a continuing commitment to raising awareness of the benefits of dairy products among multiple generations of Michigan residents. The re-branding reflects both the versatility of dairy products and the diversity of the people who consume them.
UDIM’s rebranding is the capstone piece of recent consolidation of its four specialty websites, Michigan Dairy news Bureau, Choose Chocolate Milk, Milk is Local, and UDIM.org. The websites have been consolidated into one, unified informational center, at MilkMeansMore.org.
“We recognized simpler would be better and more consumer-friendly,” said UDIM CEO Sharon Toth. “We decided to roll all of our web assets, from dairy nutrition, to promotion and consumer confidence information into one website address, MilkMeansMore.org. It will be easier for us to direct people to the ‘Milk Means More’ themed site than to separate entities that addressed the many facets of dairy.”
More importantly, the new “Milk Means More” tagline for UDIM increases consumer recognition of Michigan dairy and serves as an ongoing proclamation of its breadth and depth. “Milk Means More” will allow for flexibility in the number of promotional campaigns that can be launched from it.
“I’ve been working for UDIM for over 25 years and know firsthand that most people struggle with remembering our name. It comes out anything from ‘Dairy Industry Council’ to ‘United Dairy Association,’ but never the same thing twice. I’ve heard it all,” Toth said. “Summarizing it with the catchy ‘Milk Means More’ tagline will make more memorable who we are and what we do on behalf of Michigan’s dairy farmers.”
As new promotional materials are developed and ordered, a new, blue milk drop will begin appearing, with a distinctive, cursive “Milk Means More” written across it. What won’t be changing is UDIM’s commitment to telling the story of dairy in ways that resonate with consumers and increase their awareness of taste, quality, safety and nutrition, which ultimately translate to increased demand for and sale of dairy products.
