What do five dairy farmers, two dairy ambassadors, 3,800 student athletes, chocolate milk, and New York City have in common? They were all part of American Dairy Association (ADA) North East’s “Milk 2 Metro” excursion to the Armory Track in the Big Apple.
ADA North East staff, president Audrey Donahoe of ATRASS Farm in Clayville, N.Y., board member Skip Hardie and his wife, Holly, of Walnut Ridge Farm in Groton, N.Y., Kelly Reynolds of Reyncrest Farm in Corfu, N.Y., Jim Davenport of Tollgate Holsteins in Ancramdale, N.Y., and New York State Associate Dairy Ambassadors Olivia Maslyn and Justin Mesch all trekked to Armory Track in New York City for the Refuel with Chocolate Milk Official Hall of Fame Invitational.
“We wanted to provide our dairy farmers an immersive experience so they could see their checkoff investment hard at work,” said ADA North East CEO John Chrisman. “This long-term partnership with the Armory has given us the opportunity to reach tens of thousands of athletes and reminds them to use chocolate milk as a recovery drink.”
This invitational alone boasted more than 3,800 student athletes competing in track and field events. We provided 1,400 bottles of Hudson Valley Fresh chocolate milk with a customized “Refuel with chocolate milk” label, which the kids thoroughly enjoyed after their events.
Refuel signage is strategically and permanently placed around the track and is on full display in “The Refuel Zone,” a snack shop in the facility. Our farmers were able to hold the winning tape the runners crossed, which, of course, touted the refuel message.
We also provided a Refuel digital photo area for the athletes and encouraged them to share the photos on their social media channels. Those who did had the chance to win a $100 Nike gift card.
“Kids are led by the experiences they have, and we have to meet them where they are. So, we’re in the right place at the Armory at the right time,” said Donahoe. “We’re building lifelong milk consumers and ‘micro-influencers’ with these positive interactions with chocolate milk and dairy farmers.”
Skip Hardie added, “We need to be very intentional and specific about what sports and athletic groups we sponsor. As a dairy farmer, I know I couldn’t do this kind of promotion myself, so it’s important to be a part of larger organizations like ADA North East, that have the ability to join forces with an organization like the Armory to promote dairy.”
“It was a great experience, and I think it’s so important for dairy farmers to witness marketing like this in person,” said Reynolds. “Once milk leaves the farm, we don’t always see how it’s marketed, especially in places like New York City. So, it was invigorating to see the ‘why’ of what we’re doing on the farm.”
Click here to learn more about ADA North East and dairy checkoff. To learn more about the Armory, click here.
Jean Kummer is the industry communications specialist for American Dairy Association North East.
