Issue 28
April 2000

Wheat Foods Council

Promoting greater grains consumption throught the Wheat Checkoff

WFC launches www.smartbread.com

With just a click, health, food and nutrition editors have 24-hour access to a wealth of bread information.

Launched in January and located at www.smartbread.com, the online bread resource center for media was developed as part of the Council and American Bakers Association's bread and rolls program.

Featuring nutrition information, facts, news releases, recipes, food photography, and bread serving suggestions, the site proactively addresses bread-related issues that are designed to combat the myth that bread is fattening.

To announce the site and drive Web site traffic, the WFC sent a postcard to key health, food, and nutrition editors nationwide.

Media alert touts grain foods for enriching lives

In January, during National Birth Defects Prevention Month, the WFC distributed a media alert showcasing the benefits of grain foods, since the Food and Drug Administration mandated the fortification of grain foods with folic acid.  Working with the March of Dimes, the alert addresses the most recent research regarding folic acid fortification reducing neural tube defect risks in women of child-bearing age. The alert reached health and nutrition editors nationwide.

Educating the media, opinion leaders about grains

The WFC follows a successful promotion and public education strategy of providing grains-based news and information to the media and opinion leaders across the nation, instead of paying for advertising. Reviewing the media program since July 1, 1999, the WFC as of early February had garnered grain foods publicity in 1,334 newspapers nationwide, 45 consumer magazines ($2,380,102 ad equivalency), 37 industry trade publications, 10 health/nutrition trade publications and 9 online/wires. The impressions or reach totals 307,457,759.

During the 2000/2001 year, the WFC is targeting media and opinion leaders (physicians/nurses, health/nutrition leaders, fitness leaders and policy makers). Projects include: focus group testing of WFC messages; "A Grain is a Terrible Thing to Waste" media mailing; consumer and dietitian survey; survey publicity; "Grains Through the Ages" physicians' patient brochure; "A Grain is a Terrible Thing to Waste" direct mailing to health, nutrition and fitness leaders; consumer survey direct mailing to health, nutrition and fitness leaders; opinion leader briefings; online communications; ongoing coalition development; and continued grain seal relations.

What the domestic market means to wheat producers

Art Brandli, chairman of the WFC, MWRPC board director and wheat producer from Warroad, MN, spoke at the U.S. Wheat Associates board of directors meeting held recently in Las Vegas. He stressed the importance of the domestic market — the U.S. wheat producers' largest customer — and the implications of the 1998 four-pound drop in flour consumption (which may be due in part to fad protein diets).

Put into perspective, four pounds per American (270 million) equals 1.08 billion pounds. The 1.08 billion pounds (white flour) translates into 25 million bushels of wheat. At $2.50 per bushel, the American wheat farmer earned $62.5 million less in 1998 over 1997. Every pound of flour or bushel of wheat sold domestically is one less that must be exported.