The CowParade has captured the imagination of America since 1999. The recent Parade in Wisconsin shows how successful these arty cows have been in promoting the dairy industry.
More than 100 colorful cows grazed the Madison area and traveled to every corner of the state this past summer and fall as part of CowParade Wisconsin 2006. A survey conducted by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) following the event confirmed the memorable success of CowParade Wisconsin. When compared to a similar survey of 300 geographically dispersed Wisconsin residents done just before the CowParade promotion, it was found that Wisconsinites’ awareness of the state’s $20.6 billion dairy industry and how it affects their quality of life improved dramatically thanks in part to the promotion.
· 94 percent of those surveyed agreed that Wisconsin is proud to be America’s Dairyland
· 92 percent indicated they “would miss seeing Wisconsin farms if too much land was developed into housing and commercial buildings”
· 89 percent felt “the dairy industry played a key developmental role in the state of Wisconsin”
· And, 88 percent said they were “proud to call Wisconsin the Dairy State.”
Noteworthy awareness increases between the two surveys were also seen in the level of agreement with the following statements:
· “Wisconsin dominates the cheese industry” – Up 9 percentage points
· “One of every five Wisconsin jobs is related to agriculture” – Up 8 percentage points
· “The dairy industry improves my quality of life” – Up 6 percentage points