The global marketplace can be an attractive prospect for small U.S. meat comp...
The global marketplace can be an attractive prospect for small U.S. meat companies that wish to export their products, but it can also be daunting for the inexperienced or new exporter. How can companies introduce their branded products in distant markets?
The export market is growing, especially in regions of the world where standards of living are rising and protein consumption is growing in tandem with income. Moreover, in international markets, beef, pork and lamb products are increasingly sold under a brand name consumers can recognize rather than as a generic product. USMEF’s branded products promotion program is designed to help small companies break into the international market by helping share in the cost of promotions for their brand-name products.
To help with the potential costs involved in overseas promotions, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is now accepting applications from U.S. companies interested in receiving matching funds to promote branded U.S. meat products in international markets.
Funds from this program can help your company attend trade fairs and exhibits, assist with travel costs to attend trade shows, offset costs of promotional materials such as point-of-sale materials used in connection with a promotion, and help pay for costs of retail promotions, including fees for chefs, costumes, signs, displays and fees for demonstration staff. Branded products promotion funds can also be used to help cover the cost of seminars, including interpreters, seminar materials, set-up costs/room rental, slides and production and translation of educational materials such as company brochures and product sheets. Promotions funded under this program must be conducted between July 1, 2005 and June 30, 2006. Applications will be accepted as long as funds are available.
For purposes of this application, eligible companies must have 500 or fewer employees, or be a producer cooperative or association. Companies that receive funding from USMEF will be charged a 5 percent administrative fee for participation in the program. USMEF also requires a $100 application fee to accompany the company's request for funding. These funds will be applied toward the 5 percent fee.
Companies interested in the program should contact Barbara Watson at USMEF’s Denveroffice for guidelines and proposal format. The address is:
U.S. Meat Export Federation
Independence Plaza
1050 17th St., Suite 2200
Denver, CO 80265
Telephone: (303) 623-MEAT
Fax: (303) 623-0297
E-mail: bwatson@usmef.org
Information on the program and on exporting is also available at USMEF’s website www.usmef.org under “Find International Buyers.”
The U.S. Meat Export Federation is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn, sorghum and soybean checkoff programs.
— USMEF —