The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) provides resources for processors to help increase milk sales. The assessment-funded program is perhaps best known for the Milk Mustache ad campaign, one of the most beloved and successful campaigns in modern-day advertising.

Leveraging the popularity of the advertising, MilkPEP offers fully integrated retail promotions and outreach activities to grab consumers right at the point of sale, including  national print and TV advertising; public relations; retail promotions and support; grassroots outreach, including the Milk Mustache Mobile Tour; cross-channel communications to school nutrition professionals, vending operators and retailers; opportunity seminars; and business support tools like research data  and the “MilkSplash” monthly newsletter.  

This year, MilkPEP has launched “Think About Your Drink,” which adds greater impact to the already successful “24/24 — Milk Your Diet. Lose Weight” message. Coming next month is a promotion called “Another Season, Another Reason,” with the “Give Your Family Something Smarter” promotion slated to debut in September. Each of these programs revolves around the importance of drinking milk and why it’s an essential beverage in light of the results of the What America Drinks report.

The “Body by Milk” program continues in schools across the country, speaking to teens about a healthy, active lifestyle which includes drinking milk. At the heart of the program is an online merchandise auction at www.bodybymilk.com

Q. Who is Mike Simmons and how can he help processors?

A. Mike is MilkPEP’s director of processor relations, whose goal is to help processors increase milk sales by taking full advantage of MilkPEP’s marketing and retail programs available. To date, he’s visited 70 processor locations, giving them one-on-one attention to answer questions and navigate through program execution details.

Mike is part educator, part motivator, part coach and part advocate. He seeks out input on ways to improve the promotions and programs, and delivers this feedback to marketing and advertising teams. And these processor insights have already been integrated into some of the new initiatives coming this year and into 2008.

Q. What’s in it for processors to participate in MilkPEP programs?

A. Processors who capitalize on the resources available from MilkPEP have historically realized increased sales. Almost every U.S. processor contributes to MilkPEP through their assessment fee. Participation ensures they are fully maximizing that investment.

New this year are the MilkPEP Achievement Awards, which will honor salespeople and other processor representatives who boost sales using MilkPEP programs and promotional materials. A good MilkPEP success story could win some lucky person a “Peppy Award,” and one overall “Peppy” winner will be chosen to star in a Milk Mustache ad!

Deadline for entries is June 15, 2007. Winners will be announced at the 2007 Dairy Sales and Marketing Meeting.

Q. What steps can processors take right now?

A. Contact Mike Simmons at (202) 420-0468 or msimmons@idfa.org to get the full details and deadlines for upcoming promotions. Visit www.milkpep.org — the “got news” section — to review all of the resources and tools available. Call (800) 945-MILK to order merchandising and promotional materials, tool kits, retail packaging support and other resources.

Mark your calendars for the 2007 Dairy Sales and Marketing Meeting — July 30 to August 1 in Minneapolis.