News Summary
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture has launched a marketing campaign promoting the nutritional benefits of dairy milk, featuring student-athlete Hollywood Smothers. The initiative connects local agriculture with athletic performance and emphasizes low-fat dairy milk as an energizing choice for athletes. Alongside dairy farm manager Paige Garland, the campaign showcases the importance of local dairy producers in supporting nutrition and healthy lifestyles, aiming to enhance awareness across various social media platforms.
Raleigh, NC — State Launches Dairy Milk Promotion Campaign Featuring Student-Athlete
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) has initiated a new marketing effort to promote the nutritional benefits of dairy milk. This campaign is a collaborative effort with North Carolina State University and highlights their football team’s running back, Hollywood Smothers, as part of a broader initiative to connect local agriculture with athletic performance.
Partnership Focuses on Nutritional Benefits and Local Agriculture
The campaign aims to underscore the importance of dairy milk as a healthy and energizing choice for consumers, especially athletes. Hollywood Smothers is front and center in the campaign, emphasizing how dairy milk fuels his athletic performance both during games and in everyday life. As a student-athlete, Smothers demonstrates the role that dairy milk can play in maintaining strength, endurance, and overall health.
The campaign also features Paige Garland, a dairy farm manager at Homeland Creamery in Julian, North Carolina. In promotional content, Garland is shown delivering a glass of milk to Smothers during a workout, illustrating the direct link between local dairy producers and athletes. This visual emphasizes the role of local farms in providing nutritious products and helps foster community pride in North Carolina’s dairy industry.
Promotion and Outreach Strategy
The marketing efforts will be disseminated across several social media platforms, including Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. The multichannel approach is designed to reach a diverse audience, including students, families, farmers, and sports fans, to raise awareness about the benefits of dairy milk and support North Carolina’s agricultural sector.
Significance of the Campaign in the Context of State Agriculture and Athletics
This initiative marks the fourth campaign involving a student-athlete to promote dairy milk through NCDA&CS’s athlete Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) program. It is also the third campaign featuring a Wolfpack athlete, highlighting North Carolina State University’s connection to the state’s dairy industry.
The partnership aligns with broader efforts to spotlight local dairy farms, such as Homeland Creamery, and to demonstrate how dairy products contribute to athletic performance and daily nutrition. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler noted the campaign’s significance in celebrating North Carolina’s rich history of athletic excellence and abundant local dairy production as a means to engage the public in regional agricultural pride.
Background and Future Outlook
North Carolina’s dairy industry has a longstanding history of supporting local farmers and providing nutritious products to residents. The state’s dairy farms supply milk used not only for everyday consumption but also for various dairy-based products consumed by athletes and families alike.
This campaign is part of ongoing efforts by NCDA&CS to promote the benefits of dairy milk and foster community awareness of the state’s agricultural resources. The initiative reflects a strategic move to connect the agricultural sector with youth and sports communities, reinforcing the importance of healthy dietary choices backed by local farm production.
Moving forward, the campaign aims to continue expanding its reach, emphasizing the role of dairy milk in promoting health, supporting local farmers, and celebrating North Carolina’s history of athletic achievement. The partnership also seeks to strengthen the association between farm-to-table practices and athletic nutrition, encouraging consumers to choose dairy milk as a natural and energizing beverage.
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Additional Resources
- Stacker: Highest Rated Ice Cream Shops in Raleigh
- Google Search: Nutritional Benefits of Dairy Milk
- Morning Ag Clips: NCDA&CS Partners with NC State’s Hollywood Smothers
- Wikipedia: Dairy Milk
- WRAL: Captain Cookie the Milk Man to Open Second Raleigh Location
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Dairy Farming
Author: STAFF HERE RALEIGH WRITER
RALEIGH STAFF WRITER The RALEIGH STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERERaleigh.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Raleigh, Wake County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as the North Carolina State Fair, Raleigh Arts Festival, and the Hopscotch Music Festival. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and Visit Raleigh, plus leading businesses in technology and education that power the local economy such as Red Hat and NC State University. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREAsheville.com, HERECharlotte.com, HEREGreensboro.com, and HEREOBX.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into North Carolina's dynamic landscape.
