Blazing New Trails with Beef Community Spokespeople The Trailblazers program, developed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, continues to take advocacy to an unprecedented level by giving participants the tools and training they need to promote beef to new audiences while addressing and correcting myths.
In May, the 2023 cohort of ten Trailblazers from eight states traveled to NCBA’s office in Denver for a three-day orientation training to prepare them to serve as industry spokespeople. The yearlong program kicked-off with a multi-day training, providing the Trailblazers with resources and information they need to become expert communicators, excel in media interviews and understand how to build confidence in beef related practices when talking to consumers.
In addition to preparing Trailblazers for media interviews, the program provided a pragmatic environment for new knowledge to be applied through hands-on learning. One way the group worked together was to execute panel discussions focused on an issue in the beef industry. The panel discussion gave the cohort an opportunity to implement key talking points and share short stories that would resonate well with producer and consumer audiences.
As a group, the Trailblazers worked together to broadcast one’s message beyond the echo chamber of their reach on social media by participating in a teams-based social media and culinary challenge.
Trailblazers were grouped into teams of two to create a beef-centered dish in 30-minutes or less, while sharing resources on social media in a unique and creative delivery format. The Trailblazers quickly put their skills to use by sharing their experiences and knowledge with followers on various social media platforms. From this single, social media and culinary challenge, over 19,000 people were reached across multiple platforms.
Throughout the year, Trailblazers will receive additional training from subject matter experts, learning how to effectively engage on various social media platforms, interact with the media, and enhance public speaking skills. Trailblazers continue to meet both online and in-person to foster constant growth and refinement of skillsets when speaking about beef. If you are interested in applying for the Trailblazers program, please complete the waiting list in order to be notified when the application opens later this year. For more information on the Trailblazers program, contact Chandler Mulvaney at cmulvaney@beef.org.
