Your tailgating game plan

BEEF
RETAIL
FACT
SHEET
21
the grill:
a tailgater’S
Favorite
tool
In 2008, 57% of
total grill shipments
were gas, 41%
were charcoal and
2% were electric.
The total shipment
of all grills in 2008
was 16,681,400.
Source: Hearth, Patio and
Barbecue Association, 2008
BeeF inForMation For Meat retailerS and their cuStoMerS
Your tailgating
game plan
It’s back – one of the most anticipated seasons of the
year – football season! And no matter what college or
professional team your customers are cheering for, many
of them are likely to tailgate at a game at least once
during the season. This is the perfect opportunity for you
to beat the competition and score big with beef sales.
MerchandiSing touchdownS!
There are endless ways for you to win with customers
and improve store sales during tailgating season. Here
are a few:
• Display seasonings or marinades near your meat case.
• Package ground beef that has been formed into
football-shaped burgers.
• Raise the bar – and flavor – of the standard burger by
merchandising ground beef patties with artisan cheeses.
• Create “Top Tailgate Fare” or “Football Favorite”
stickers to place on featured tailgating items.
• Promote middle meat steaks (from the rib, loin and
sirloin) as the main ingredient of pre-game steak
sandwiches. Display steak sandwich condiments like
onions, French rolls, mustard and cheese alongside
your steaks.
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three cheerS For Middle Meat Mania!
The beef checkoff has developed a new campaign
called Middle Meat Mania to help you merchandise
middle meats. Due to the success of this campaign to
date, customer demand for middle meat cut photos
and recipes in your store will continue to rise during
the tailgating season. To be prepared, keep your case
stocked with middle meat cuts. Find middle meat cut
photos and recipes in the BeefRetail.org Ad Planner
and create your own recipe cards to give customers
new ways to prepare these delicious cuts. The Middle
Meat Mania web page on BeefRetail.org provides
all the information you need to implement these
programs in your store.
www.beefretail.org/markMiddleMeatMania.aspx
a Strong oFFenSe: retail Support
The beef industry is teaming up with Anheuser Busch®
brands, Kraft® A.1® and Sutter Home® to pump up
tailgating season with great promotions.
The Anheuser Busch and Kraft A.1. promotion runs
during August and September. It allows customers in
some states to save up to $3.00 instantly on beef with
the purchase of a 10 oz. A.1. Steak Sauce and a 12-pack
of beer. In other states, customers can save up to $2.00
instantly on beef with just an A.1. purchase.
Sutter Home is also offering a great Tailgating
Promotion in September through which customers
can receive a $1.00 off coupon with the purchase of
Sutter Home wine.
Visit the Promotional Calendar on BeefRetail.org for
further information about all promotions, including
which offers are valid in your state.
it’S a QuarterBack Sack!
Come to your customers’ defense by helping them get
all their tailgating gear in the sack! Here are several
ideas to help customers get out the door quickly and to
their tailgate.
• Seasoned and marinated products ready for the grill
offer great taste without the prep, but do-it-yourselfers
need plastic re-sealable bags and prepared
79 percent of
tailgaters are
between the ages
of 25 and 54.
Source: Tailgating Times and
Freedom Grill Survey, August
2008
Stock the Meat Case with
Tailgating Favorites
Top Five Selling Steaks for Tailgating Season
1. Beef Top Round Steak Boneless
2. Beef Loin Top Sirloin Steak Boneless
3. Beef Ribeye Steak Boneless
4. Beef Top Loin Steak Boneless
5. Beef Loin T-Bone Steak
Bone-In
Source: FreshLook Marketing Total US
8 weeks post Labor Day 2006-2008
average pound sales
It’s time to stock your
meat case and promote
these best selling
cuts for the tailgating
season. Display recipe
cards, grilling tips, food
safety reminders, as
well as rubs, marinades,
beverages, charcoal,
lighting fluid and instantread thermometers to educate
your customers and make their
shopping more convenient.
A Solid Defense:
Keep Cool, Hot, Safe
Tailgating requires the same safe food handling
practices as summer picnicking. It’s important to
keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Use insulated
containers to keep the food hot for several hours. Use
insulated coolers packed with several inches of ice,
frozen gel packs, or containers of frozen water to keep
cold foods cold. Ensure raw meat is wrapped securely to
prevent juices from cross-contaminating other foods.
Ask the Experts
Q. How can I use a marinade?
A. A marinade is a mixture of seasonings and liquid
ingredients that add flavor to beef and may even help
tenderize, depending on the ingredients. In general,
steak cuts from the chuck, round, flank and skirt
are excellent candidates for a tenderizing marinade.
You can purchase a prepared Kraft® A.1.® marinade
or prepare your own. To make such a mixture, you’ll
need acidic ingredients (citrus juice, vinegar or wine)
or a natural tenderizing enzyme (found in pineapple
or kiwi.) These ingredients will not only make the beef
more tender, but they’ll also add interesting flavors.
Q. How do I determine when my steaks and burgers
are done?
A. Use an instant-read thermometer inserted
horizontally into the side of burgers and steaks to
check doneness. The thermometer should penetrate
the thickest part or center of the burger or steak.
Allow 10 to 15 seconds for the thermometer to
register the internal temperature. Cook steaks to
145°F (medium rare) or 160°F (medium). Cook
burgers to at least 160°F. The color of cooked ground
beef is not a reliable indicator of doneness.
Additional Resources
Beef: Don’t Tailgate without it! - Explore more
merchandising ideas for tailgating.
www.beefretail.org/markBeefScoreswithTailgating.aspx
Kraft® A.1.® and Anheuser-Busch’s Budweiser®
Tailgating Promotion – View the promotional calendar
for information about this promotion and others.
www.beefretail.org/markPromotionalCalendar.aspx
Safe and Savory – Teach customers the proper ways to
cook burgers to make sure their food is safe.
www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/safesavoryat160.aspx
Beef Training Camp on Food Safety – Show customers
the proper ways to ensure their tailgating foods stay
safe outdoors.
www.beefretail.org/uDocs/NCBABTC2S13_6.pdf
Quiz
The first 10 people to submit an answer that correctly
fills in the blank on the following statement will win a
Beef It’s What’s For Dinner camouflage hat!
Q: According to the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue
Association, more than _________ million grills
were shipped by manufacturers in 2008.
Submit your answer at:
www.beefretail.org/Tailgating09BFFPrize.aspx
®
www.BeefRetail.org
Copyright ©2009 Cattlemen’s Beef Board and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Funded by The Beef Checkoff
072109
The Target
Tailgating
Shopper
marinades. Display both near your featured beef item,
especially when it is top round or flank steak. Remind
customers they can marinate in the bag overnight before
the big game, or simply en route.
www.beefretail.org/culiMarinades.aspx
• Suggest Kraft A.1. marinades as a convenient, readyto-use solution.
http://brands.kraftfoods.com/a1/products
• Tailgaters can pick up ingredients to make a meatball
sandwich on their way to the stadium. Help them by
preparing meatballs and displaying hoagie buns with
a meatball sandwich recipe card.
• Make sure your customers have enough propane
gas to keep the grill hot during the tailgate. If your
store sells propane, place a sign by the meat case
reminding customers to purchase some propane gas
as they leave your store.