In 2021, Midwest Dairy launched the Cooperative and Processor Support (CAPS) program. The program was started to support processors, farmer-owned cooperatives, and dairy food and beverage manufacturers to drive demand and trust for dairy foods. There were three winners chosen as recipients for this first year.
One of the three recipients was GoodSport Nutrition. GoodSport is a member of the American Dairy Products Institute (ADPI) and an Illinois-based business. They received funding to support a comprehensive marketing campaign and sampling program aimed at opening the sports drink category by raising consumers’ awareness about dairy’s entry into the sports drink market. Some of their goals are to expand its customer base with Gen X and Gen Z consumers, provide new occasions to consume dairy, encourage further dairy innovation, and amplify positive dairy messaging.
Since August, GoodSport ambassadors have been out at various retailers and athletic clubs in the Chicagoland area, giving out product samples. They reached over 3,000 consumers and became one of the main sponsors of the Chicago Sky, who won the WNBA championship this year. In addition to video messages and LED banners that were shown at all home games, GoodSport had additional sampling opportunities at the games to further interact with fans and consumers.
By providing processors funding opportunities focused on marketing, Midwest Dairy was able to build checkoff advocates. It shows processors who may not understand checkoff the many opportunities that are available through Midwest Dairy.