In September, Midwest Dairy partnered with Fareway Stores to celebrate the perfect game-day pairing, cheese and meat, just in time for football season and cozy fall gatherings. The campaign reminded shoppers that real dairy is a key ingredient for every tailgate, party, and weeknight meal.
In-Store Excitement and Promotions
Throughout the month, Fareway brought flavor and fun to life across its meat departments and checkout areas, featuring mouth-watering recipe ideas that made it easy to include real dairy. Shoppers discovered dishes like Enchilada Skillet, Reuben Sliders, and Bacon Cheddar Cheese Football, all combining the rich, creamy taste of dairy with hearty proteins.
Fareway’s mascot, Frank, helped lead the excitement with playful in-store appearances that encouraged customers to “Cheese the Day.” The month-long event captured more than 3.5 million impressions and made dairy the MVP of any game-day spread.
Strong Social Media Engagement
Online, Fareway extended the celebration with fun and interactive digital activities. Social features like Frank’s Cheese the Day Cart, the Great Dip Off Tailgate, and Fareway Frank’s Dairy Dash reached over 59,000 viewers across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Engagement rates reached as high as 12%, well above the industry average of 3%- 6%, proving consumers were ready to celebrate dairy in a big way.
Email and Digital Highlights
Digital marketing added another layer of success. Fareway’s two-day sale email reached 327,000 shoppers with an impressive 42% open rate. A follow-up weekly ad email reached 353,000 more shoppers and achieved a 17% click-through rate, more than triple the benchmark.
Homepage banners and recipe links kept dairy front and center, earning over 500,000 views and encouraging shoppers to explore recipe collections. These digital touchpoints seamlessly connected shoppers to real dairy products and meal inspiration.
Results That Delivered
The campaign paid off, earning 1.5 million incremental pounds of milk sold. Fareway shoppers were inspired to bring real dairy to their tables and tailgates, while younger audiences connected with the fresh, creative recipe ideas. From the dairy aisle to the tailgate, this partnership proved that when cheese and meat team up, dairy wins every time.