Data-Driven Dairy: What Non-Profit Organizations Can Learn from the Iconic 'Got Milk?' Campaign"

Lactose intolerance can be a bummer, especially during the holidays when a tall glass of milk pairs so perfectly with warm chocolate chip cookies. Occasionally, I disregard common sense and scientific evidence and indulge in a cup of milk. Recently, as I sat there sipping on my glass of milk, memories of my childhood came flooding back. I remembered watching the "got milk?" campaign on television and wondering why it was so successful in compelling people to drink more milk.

But was it really a success?

Sure, the association of milk with incredible athletes and superstars like Michael Jordan, the Williams sisters, and even Queen Beyonce certainly captured attention but did it translate to changes in consumer consumption habits?

At the time, consumption of milk had been on the decline for several decades, according to the US Department of Agriculture, and the dairy industry was desperate to address this trend. So, in 1993, when Goodby, Silverstein and Partners were hired by the California Milk Processor Board to develop the "got milk?" campaign, their objective was not to reverse the decades-long decline but to increase milk consumption for “at least certain portions of the population” so that the decline would “flatten it out and start to move it up.”

?A 2000 study on “Dairy Advertising On The Household Demand For Milk” seems to corroborate this approach, as the study discovered that an increase in dairy advertising resulted in a rise in milk sales based on differentiated household compositions. That same study also found that milk advertising was an effective strategy driving that change, specifically revealing that a 1% rise in advertising expenditure corresponds to a 0.25% increase in milk sales.

?What this information tells me is two things: first, the marketing strategy behind the "got milk?" campaign was realistic in that it understood that it wasn't going to reverse decades of consumer behavior with one campaign. Secondly, the milk industry wisely understood that the effect of their advertisements would be best seen among certain demographics and not all.??

This understanding of the market and the use of consumer psychology and research to craft an effective advertising strategy to drive consumer demand was the real secret behind the success of the "got milk?" campaign, with its iconic milk mustache worn by stars.

?So by utilizing data and evidence generated from consumer psychology and research, the campaign was able to influence consumer purchase behavior and drive increased milk consumption. Without this data-driven approach, the campaign may not have set off stampedes of milk-crazed kids like me in grocery stores across the globe.

As I downed the last drop, it dawned on me how the campaign could serve as a powerful illustration of the value of using data and evidence to inform decision-making in social and public sector organizations. By utilizing data and evidence, organizations can craft effective intervention strategies that address some of the most pressing social, economic, and environmental issues we face today.

In 2020, according to Imagine Canada, charities and non-profits in Canada received about $13.5 billion. However, it's important to note that simply investing money into a problem does not always result in an effective solution. Research has shown that many social and public sector interventions are not achieving their intended outcomes as effectively as they could. In fact, a significant proportion of interventions in these fields have been found to be ineffective, and there is often a lack of evidence on what works and why. The use of data and evidence in decision-making can help to address this issue and ensure that resources are being used effectively to achieve meaningful impact.

Example: The XYZ Homework Club

The XYZ Homework Club is a social intervention designed to improve graduation rates at a high school in a low-income community. The program involves providing after-school tutoring and academic support to high school students who are struggling with their coursework. The program is funded by a government grant, which has invested $500,000 over a period of five years to implement the program.

Despite the substantial investment in the XYZ Homework Club, the graduation rates at the high school have not seen the expected improvement. In fact, the graduation rates have remained relatively stagnant over the course of the program, as illustrated in the table below.

This result is particularly concerning given that research has shown that graduating from high school is associated with a range of positive outcomes, including increased employment, earnings potential, and improved health outcomes.

So, what went wrong?

The ineffectiveness of the XYZ Homework Club may have stemmed from its lack of adherence to the best available evidence on what works to improve graduation rates. The program may not have taken into account the specific and differentiated needs of the high school students it aimed to benefit, such as socio-economic status, gender, race, previous educational experience, and special needs. Additionally, the program may not have been implemented in a way that was accessible to all students, such as offering it at times that were inconvenient for students who had to work after school. It's conceivable these factors and others likely contributed to the suboptimal results of the program not working to improve graduation rates.

Got Evidence??

To ensure the success of interventions like the XYZ Homework Club, it is vital to use data and evidence in the design process. The "got milk?" campaign serves as a prime example of how data and evidence can inform decision-making and drive effective marketing strategies. Similarly, in the social and public sector, using data and evidence to design interventions that meet the specific needs and constraints of different contexts can lead to more successful and efficient programs with a greater impact on the communities served.

Following in the hooves of the milk industry, next time anyone in the social and public sector wants to launch a new intervention or program, they should ask themselves a question, "Got Evidence?"

Reimagine LABS was founded to help social and public sector organizations answer this precise question by providing them the support to build evidence-based, well-designed programs. We?understand the significance of using data and evidence in program design and delivery to move from idea to impact.?

So, if your organization is interested in exploring ways to enhance data and evidence usage, we would love to hear from you. We'd love to help you ensure your program is based on the right evidence and data before implementing it, to prevent potential complications and the need to retrospectively determine the cause of any problems, as that would simply be a case of "too little, too late." Or, crying over spilled milk.

Recommended Readings

There are various examples of social and public sector interventions in Canada that have used data and evidence to improve their effectiveness and efficiency.?

1. The YMCA Alternative Suspension Social Impact Bond (SIB) program in Quebec: This program uses a data-driven approach to improve outcomes for marginalized youth. The SIB program uses data and performance metrics to track the progress of the program and course correct as needed to improve its effectiveness.

2. The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness's (COH) Homeless Hub: This is a research resource that provides a wide range of information, data, research, and best practices related to homelessness. It's aimed to help policy makers and practitioners make evidence-based decisions, implement effective programs and interventions.

3. The Neighbourhood Change Research Partnership (NCRP) in Toronto: This organization uses data and technology to understand and address issues of urban poverty and inequality. They use a range of data sources and analytical tools to study how different neighborhoods are changing and how these changes are affecting the people who live there.