| August 3, 2004 |
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Editor:
Joanne C. Ivy |
In This Issue:
New
TV Commercials to Air Soon
World
Egg Day Celebrated
Reaching
Old and Young
Mountains
of Magazine Publicity!
Foodservice
Ad Receives Award
Time
to order 2005 Calendar
AEB
Still “Seeing” News Coverage from the AMD Simulator Campaign
July
Trade Shows Target Non-Commercial Operators
AEB Olympic Program Uses Star
Athletes to Promote the Health Benefits of Eggs
Record-breaking, Olympic-bound swimmer, Natalie Coughlin, touted the
health benefits of eggs during a recent satellite media tour to 20 top
U.S. media markets and millions of viewers, as part of a program to
partner AEB with Olympic athletes.
Live from Long Beach California's Aquatic Center, location of the
Olympic swimming trials where she had just qualified for the 2004 Summer
Games, Natalie communicated the fact that the American Heart Association
no longer restricts egg yolk consumption. While telling viewers that her
favorite pre-race meal is eggs and fried rice, she also addressed the
importance of high quality protein, antioxidants and B-vitamins found in
eggs.
To tie into AEB's "Think Fast. Think Eggs." advertising campaign,
Natalie discussed the convenience of preparing eggs, stating that she
often relies on hard-cooked eggs for a protein boost after
practice.
During the interviews, Natalie urged viewers to log
onto a website developed by AEB to extend the reach and frequency of its
Olympic satellite media tour. The website, fueledbyeggs.com, contains
nutrition tips and favorite recipes from Natalie and five other Olympic
hopefuls, including diving champion Mark Ruiz, Cycling champion Dede
Barry, track and field Olympian Alan Culpepper, and Marathon champion
Deena Drossin Kastor. Americans are also finding out about the website
through a press release to national print media and through a tie-in to
AEB's radio advertising campaign.
Natalie has become the media darling of this year's Summer Games. She
has graced the pages of Vogue, Glamour, Sports Illustrated, Vanity Fair,
Newsweek,
USA Today, The New York Times, and The New Yorker, to
name a few. Additionally, Natalie is featured with fellow swimming
super-star Olympian Michael Phelps in a National NBC commercial promoting
the Olympic Games in Athens.
Natalie has appeared on behalf of AEB
in Dallas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Tampa, Cincinnati, and more. To date, http://www.fueledbyeggs.com/
boasts over 50,000 hits.
October 8 is World Egg Day!
Time to celebrate the fact that eggs have been a staple in
diets around the world for centuries. Cooks in every cuisine have
developed simple single-skillet suppers that can be on the table in
minutes. This year's merchandising campaign reflects that fact with quick
and easy omelets that translate deliciously into any language.
One-two-three omelets start with Howard Helmer's two eggs and two
tablespoons of water. Simply pick out two other ingredients for the
filling and voila! You can take a culinary tour of the globe. Add some
pesto and mozzarella. That's Italian. Pepper Jack cheese and salsa make it
Mexican. Or pack it with feta and olives for a taste of Greece. The
campaign features seven versions in all - each one satisfyingly
scrumptious. One of the best things about eggs is that they liven up
lifeless leftovers. So it's easy to eggspand on this concept with any two
ingredients you like.
The state egg organizations have
exclusive use of this campaign for six months, but then AEB uses the
materials for media, leaflets, and the calendar. The photos are available
in black-and-whites, slides, and on disc, and the campaign includes a
general release and PSA's.
Our mission is to eliminate tired
old menus. With eggs, it's easy to put a fresh, nutritious, homemade meal
on the table in less than 20 minutes. When consumers are thinking fast,
high-quality protein, we want them to think eggs.
The American Egg Board's three new 15-second "Think Fast. Think
Eggs." commercials -- designed to remind convenience-minded consumers that
eggs are the perfect choice for a quick and easy dinner -- will begin
airing Monday, August 9th!
The ads feature mouth-watering recipes for Spanish Omelet, "Wagon
Wheel" Frittata, and Microwave Ham and Cheese Strata. Like the original
"Think Fast" spots, the new commercials have beautiful egg visuals that
are brought to life with vibrant music. The new spots also add voices to
grab the viewer's attention at the start of the ads and to sing "the
Incredible Edible Egg" slogan at the end.
The spots will run
throughout the day and into early evening on Network, Cable, and
Syndication. They will also air on morning shows including The Today Show and Good Morning
America. In the afternoon, they will run during soap operas and
talk shows including As the World Turns, The Young and the Restless, and The View. In the late afternoon, consumers will be
inspired to try eggs for dinner when watching syndicated programs like
Seinfeld, West Wing,
Dr. Phil, and Oprah
and during the Evening News on CBS, NBC, and ABC.
The media plan continues to target women
25 to 54 years old -- the primary meal decision makers for the
family.
Rediscover Eggs!, AEB's newsletter for
active older adults, again rates rave reviews from its
readers.
This important and growing audience - currently the best
egg customers on a per capita basis -
provides great input,
including regularly informing AEB that the "invaluable" materials are
widely
used. A full 97.8% of respondents want to remain on the mailing
list which, in the program's seventh year, now totals over 9,000 senior
facilities of all kinds.
This year, special inserts on basic
egg cooking methods are expected to ensure continuing loyalty among the
industry's older customers. Quarterly issues will, of course, include the
latest news about eggs, starting with “Eggs: Just What the Doctor Ordered”
and continuing through “The Facts about Protein” and “What Is a Good
Breakfast?,” and finishing up with “Making Soul Food Healthful,” an
article targeted to the important audience of older
African-Americans.
A panel of 14 educators from classroom teachers to
PhDs, is now reviewing a new education program for use with 4th- through
6th-grade students. Titled, EGGSpress
Yourself!, the program is based on articles from a fictitious
newspaper, the Daily EGGSpress. When completed
this fall, the kit will be comprised of sample printed lesson plans and
activity sheets and a poster along with a CD-ROM of the entire program. In
addition to more lesson plans, activity sheets, and information for
parents, the CD will include links to http://www.aeb.org/ and other sites which
have helpful information on eggs, nutrition, food safety, and other food
-- and fitness-related subjects.
Covering a number of
different curriculum areas, the program will be distributed over 2004 and
2005 to all the largest schools which have computer facilities for student
use, currently estimated at almost 52,000 schools nationwide.
These booklets are now available. To order, simply call Mary Ruth
Bolda at AEB.
Millions more Americans are reading that egg consumption promotes good
eye health. Below are highlights from some of the recent eggcellent
national news coverage about eggs and good eye health:
Cooking Light - April 2004
"The
carotenoid found in egg yolks may reduce the risk of age-related macular
degeneration, a leading cause of blindness."
Woman's Day - May 4, 2004
"Like spinach, egg
yolks promote eye health. They are another great source of
lutein."
Newsday - May 12,
2004
"Vision benefits are another egg bonus, because of two
carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, both abundant in yolks. Eggs are a
more highly available form of these nutrients than other food sources.
Also, egg consumption appears to significantly reduce the risk of
cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, according to
studies."
Woman's Day - June 15,
2004
"Though cooked leafy greens contain by far the highest
amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin, we've found that these nutrients are
200 to 300 percent more bioavailable in eggs than in greens," says Dr.
Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., chief of the Antioxidant Research Laboratory at
Tufts University and member of AEB's scientific advisory
panel.
In August 2003 and January 2004, journalists were challenged to
experience AMD for themselves by wearing a pair of glasses that simulate
the visual impairment of AMD. These glasses were sent to editors at both
long-lead and short-lead publications, and when put on, the glasses made
the entire range of sight blurry, particularly in the center of the field
of vision, to call emphasis to the circular area of blindness.
Additionally, editors were sent a CD-ROM highlighting facts about eggs and
eye health. We are delighted that the media has utilized this information
to educate consumers about the role eggs play in preventing AMD and other
eye diseases.
The summer season is a busy time for trade shows, with July being a
particularly busy month. In July, exhibits were staffed at two important
trade shows in the non-commercial foodservice sector, including the
Dietary Managers Association and the American School Foodservice
Association.
More than 800 dietary managers of nursing homes
and healthcare facilities were in attendance at the Dietary Managers
Association annual meeting which took place July 20-21 in Reno,
Nevada.
Egg safety and handling materials proved particularly
popular with this audience in the "high risk" foodservice area.
Indianapolis was the location for the Annual National Conference of the
American School Food Service Association. The meeting was held in this
Midwestern city July 26-28, with total attendance close to 3,000 school
foodservice directors and managers from across the country. Recipes to
assist in menu planning for
the upcoming school years as well as
egg safety and handling materials were most popular with this group of
professionals.
Also introduced at this meeting was the new
school foodservice promotional kit with the theme "Blast off with
Breakfast for Lunch."
An excellent response was received from the promotional post card
announcing the
program that was sent out prior to the meeting.
School foodservice professionals visiting the
booth showed a
great deal of interest in this new promotional program and numerous orders
were received. The multi-component kit will be distributed beginning in
September.
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Over the last three months, there have been oodles of egg recipes
in national consumer publications. In fact, if you name a type of
egg preparation, chances are one of the women's/food magazines
featured it. The most recent publicity clearly shows that food
editors accept that eggs are versatile and can satisfy diverse
palates. Editors also suggest to their readers that egg dishes suit
any meal of the day.
April through June:
egg features 42
national consumer
publications 27
combined
total circulation 80,545,525
comparable advertising
value $8,902,105 |
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The Foodservice media program was recently presented with a Harvey
Communication Measurement Award. This award was given "In recognition of
advertising which achieved outstanding recall and/or readership, as
measured through personal, face-to-face interviews with a national sample
of readers of Restaurants & Institutions." AEB's "Eggspress Lane"
print advertisement was ranked among the top ten ads in the February 1,
2004 issue of the publication.
As part of this ad study,
readers of Restaurants & Institutions were asked to provide specific
comments concerning the ad. One foodservice operator from Arizona said the
following: "I was instantly attracted to this ad. It shows versatility and
creativity. The picture makes the food look appetizing.” Another reader
from Indiana said "I would like to try this out. It looks tasty and
different. The photo is very appealing." A reader in California said: "My
impression of the ad is good. It shows egg diversity, and we know here the
importance of fresh eggs."
Christmas? In the heat of the summer? It's hard to relate, but when you
get right down to it, the holidays are just around the corner. So it's
time to think about ordering the 2005 AEB calendar. Before making specific
plans this year, AEB sent out a survey to assess whether or not the
current format still addresses the needs of our customers. We received
some excellent suggestions, but overall, the responses indicated that the
overwhelming majority are pleased with the calendar. Therefore, we are
moving full speed ahead on production.
With the mounting body
of evidence confirming the role eggs play in eye health, brain
development, memory, pet health, and weight control, we've decided to
focus our attention this year on all these eggstra benefits. As for
recipes, they will reinforce the “Think Fast. Think Eggs.” theme. We're
going to include the omelet, strata, and frittata which appear in our new
TV ads, along with other dishes that "show-off "eggs. With the current
emphasis on losing weight, we're emphasizing that eating right is easy. No
matter how hectic your lifestyle is, eggs can fit in - naturally.
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