Listening First: A Producer-Driven Strategy to Defend the Checkoff

At Paulsen, we’re proud to stand with checkoff programs across the country—not just to tell their stories, but to help them listen to the people who fund them. Because in a moment when checkoffs are increasingly asked to prove their value, we believe the strongest defense begins with understanding the farmer.

Watch our Defending the Checkoff Series: Webinar 1 and Webinar 2.

That’s why, three years ago, Paulsen partnered with the Iowa Beef Industry Council (IBIC) to tackle a challenge we’ve heard echoed from checkoff leaders across the country: How do we better connect with the producers who invest in us?

We approached the work not as a one-time survey, but as the start of a long-term conversation. Our team helped IBIC establish a benchmark for producer sentiment—what they know, how they feel, and what they want to hear about the Beef Checkoff. And we’ve been building on it ever since.

It’s Not Just Promotion—It’s a Relationship

Checkoffs are designed to drive demand, invest in research, and build consumer trust. But those outcomes often take place outside the line of sight of farmers and ranchers. And when times get tough, that distance can feel even greater.

Producers have questions: Where is my money going? Is it working? Who decides how it’s spent? Those questions aren’t signs of distrust—they’re proof that producers care. That they’re paying attention. And that they deserve communication that treats them like the investors they are.

What We Heard, and What We Did

In Iowa, our listening work began with a comprehensive producer sentiment survey, followed by one-on-one interviews and small-group conversations to go deeper. We engaged with producers from across the state to better understand what they were hearing, feeling, and needing from their checkoff. The results revealed clear themes: producers wanted more transparency, more clarity, and more tangible proof of impact. They didn’t want jargon. They wanted relevance. And above all, they wanted to feel included in the story the checkoff was telling.

We helped IBIC build a communications framework rooted in consistency and efficiency. That included developing an editorial calendar to align messaging across paid, earned, and owned media. A new e-newsletter launched with renewed focus and voice, designed to be clear, concise, and producer-first. We created a geo-targeted digital campaign to stretch limited dollars while ensuring the right messages reached the right producers. 

An end-of-year report was designed to make the most of a small print footprint—highlighting tangible wins, reinforcing transparency, and showing the return on producers’ investment. Because while the majority of checkoff dollars rightly go toward building demand through exports, research and consumer trust, communicating back to the producers who fund it cannot be an afterthought.

This wasn’t about flashy tactics—it was about realignment. IBIC began building a steady cadence of two-way communication using platforms producers already engage with, from ag media and email to social and radio. Messaging was shaped by producer input, delivered in a voice that reflected their values, and grounded in the everyday reality of raising beef. It was a shift from one-way announcements to ongoing conversation—and it made all the difference.

Defending the Checkoff, Producer by Producer

In our recent Defending the Checkoff webinar series, we heard a common thread from leaders across agriculture: when producers see value, they become the best advocates. That starts with listening—and continues with communication that reflects what’s heard.

The Iowa Beef project is a strong example of that philosophy in action. By committing to regular sentiment tracking and acting on the insights, IBIC didn’t just change its messaging. It changed its mindset. It recognized that checkoff defense isn’t a campaign—it’s a culture.

And that shift is working. Today, producer feedback shows a stronger understanding of checkoff goals, greater curiosity about the work being done, and more willingness to engage. That’s not just a win for communication—it’s a win for trust.

A Model for Other Programs

As we continue to support checkoff clients across agriculture, we see the same opportunities again and again: to create space for listening, to act on producer insight, and to build messaging that’s both strategic and personal.

The Iowa Beef sentiment work is more than a case study—it’s a call to action. Because if we want producers to defend the checkoff, we need to show that we’re defending their voices first.

At Paulsen, that’s not a trend. It’s our approach. We believe checkoffs are one of the most powerful tools in agriculture—but only if producers see themselves in the work. And that begins by listening.