First 1,000 days from US dairy

The US National Dairy Council‘s dairy checkoff is doubling down on one of the most critical windows of human development – the “First 1,000 Days” – with a multichannel strategy that positions dairy as essential for optimal brain growth and cognitive development from conception through a child’s second birthday, it says.

The surround-sound campaign is designed to meet today’s parents where they are: in their social feeds, on trusted parenting platforms, through pediatrician offices, in WIC clinics and on digital search engines – all with content rooted in science, relevance and personal connections.

“The first 1,000 days set the foundation for a lifetime of health,” said Lindsay Datlow, senior vice president, nutrition affairs at the farmer-founded National Dairy Council (NDC). “Dairy foods like milk, cheese and yogurt provide seven of the 14 nutrients identified by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as vital during this period. That’s not just a selling point – it’s a scientific fact that should guide infant feeding decisions.”

The initiative includes promotion across third-party media outlets and the checkoff’s consumer-facing USDairy.com site. From engaging TikTok videos and educational infographics to partnerships with trusted organizations, the effort focuses on building awareness, providing education, driving consideration and – ultimately – inspiring action.

A cornerstone of this activation is partnerships with BabyCenter and What to Expect, two of the most widely-used parenting platforms in the US. The partnerships include dairy-focused articles, social media content, in-app promotions and expert video content.

The campaign also includes influencer marketing via the checkoff’s Dairy Dream Team, featuring parents who share real-life experiences introducing dairy to their children, creating an emotional, authentic connection with millennial and Gen Z moms and dads.

Other digital efforts are focused on Google Search, YouTube and display advertising, ensuring that when a parent searches for what to feed their baby or toddler, dairy shows up as a top, trusted solution.

While consumer-facing content is a major focus, NDC is using this opportunity to continue advancing dairy’s role in early childhood nutrition, particularly in pediatric, healthcare and WIC circles.

There also have been articles such as Eating for baby’s brain development and Milk allergy and lactose intolerance in pregnancy developed and shared by Mayo Clinic, in collaboration with the checkoff.

DMI has made the campaign’s toolkit available to state and regional checkoff teams, the US Dairy Export Council, MilkPEP, as well as other dairy organisations and cooperatives to further expand the effort across the country.

For more information about how the dairy checkoff is driving sales and building trust, visit www.dairycheckoff.com.