One year ago, Dairy MAX launched Better With Dairy to connect with Gen Z and keep real dairy relevant in a marketplace crowded with loud claims and competing choices. In year one, the brand delivered meaningful scale, brought new consumers to dairy-forward content and strengthened the trust-building work that protects demand for milk, cheese and yogurt over the long term.
The results, at a glance
In 2025, consumers saw our Better With Dairy messages:
- 140 million times across our digital platforms.
- 75 million times on our first-ever multicultural holiday campaign collaboration with other state and regional checkoff organizations.
- 20.67 million times on TikTok.
- 378,000 times on BetterWithDairy.com, where recipe pages were the No. 1 traffic driver, helping consumers move from interest to action.
Those numbers represent more than marketing. They represent attention and consideration from the next generation of buyers at a time when consumer trust and buying habits are shifting quickly.
Why this brand matters to you
Our job is to build demand for dairy foods and protect dairy’s reputation with the audiences who shape purchasing trends. Better With Dairy is a key part of that work because Gen Z is now one of the most influential consumer groups in the U.S., with $12 trillion in spending power by 2030. Gen Z brings different expectations about transparency, sustainability and where they get information. By meeting them with modern, dairy-forward content and information they view as credible and authentic, Better With Dairy helps keep real dairy on the grocery list today and supports stronger demand tomorrow.
Why Gen Z, and why now?
Dairy demand is shaped over years, not weeks. That is why Dairy MAX invested in Better With Dairy after two years of research into dairy attitudes and consumption trends across our region.
Gen Z, generally defined as those born between 1997 and 2012, makes up more than 20% of the U.S. population and influences household purchasing decisions well beyond their own carts. Dairy MAX research also found an important reality: younger teens often feel positive about dairy, while older Gen Z adults can be more skeptical, which means trust-building must be intentional and capture consumers as they begin forming their own opinions.
This generation also does not “live” on traditional media. They choose visually driven platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. If dairy wants to compete for mindshare and shelf space, we have to show up where these consumers actually spend time.
Defining Better With Dairy
Better With Dairy is not a retail brand. It does not exist to sell a single label or product in the dairy case. It represents family dairy farms across Dairy MAX’s region and encourages consumers to buy real dairy, regardless of which brand they choose.
That distinction matters. Many consumers trust people and values more than logos. Better With Dairy is designed as a lifestyle brand with a voice and look that fit Gen Z culture, while keeping the message grounded in the values that drive dairy farmers: producing delicious, safe, nutritious foods and continuously improving animal care and environmental stewardship.
The strategy: Three pillars that connect dairy to Gen Z priorities
From launch, Better With Dairy was built around messaging pillars that align dairy with how Gen Z thinks about food and wellness:
- Deliciousness (primary message): Dairy as comfort, flavor and everyday joy.
- Nutrition (secondary message): Dairy as nutrient-dense fuel that supports health.
- Farm-to-Table (secondary message): Dairy farmers’ commitment to providing delicious, safe, nutritious foods communicated with transparency.
Those pillars create consistency across content and platforms. They also keep the message search-friendly, which matters when consumers are using search engines and AI tools to ask questions about food choices.
Year-one impact: Scale, site traffic and proof that recipes move people
Better With Dairy’s first year showed strong performance on the metrics that matter for a trust-and-demand initiative: reach, engagement and actions that indicate intent.
We earned attention at scale
Our year-end reporting shows 140 million total impressions in 2025, including 75 million impressions from a first-ever multicultural holiday campaign collaboration with fellow state and regional organizations.
This matters for dairy because modern consumer behavior is driven by repeated exposure. A single message rarely changes minds. Consistent, credible presence does.
TikTok performed as a standout channel
TikTok is where Gen Z learns, laughs and decides what is “in.” Better With Dairy delivered 20.67 million TikTok impressions in 2025.
The year-end impact report also found TikTok was one of the most efficient channels for reach and engagement, and recommended increased focus based on strong performance. That is exactly the kind of feedback loop we want: test, measure, then invest where dairy messages earn the most attention.
BetterWithDairy.com drew meaningful traffic, with recipes leading the way
This key metric is simple and powerful: 378,000 visits to BetterWithDairy.com, and recipe pages were the primary traffic driver.
That is an important signal for farmers: recipes are not fluff content. Recipes are a practical tool that moves consumers from “I like dairy” to “I am buying dairy.”
The report also highlights specific examples of what “recipe-driven demand” looks like in practice:
- The Crispy Green Bean Casserole recipe page led page views in the last three months of the year, and multiple seasonal recipes generated strong clicks.
- In paid search, seasonal recipes posted strong click-through rates, showing that consumers actively sought out dairy recipes and followed through to learn more.
- “Print recipe” and “keep page active” actions were tracked as key events, which helps measure deeper engagement beyond a quick visit.
In other words, Better With Dairy is not only reaching people. It is giving them a reason and a way to use real dairy at home.
Trust-building: Why reach alone is not enough
Dairy demand is vulnerable when trust is low. Gen Z is known for skepticism and a preference for brands that demonstrate transparency and social responsibility. Better With Dairy’s job is to meet that reality head-on by addressing questions with facts, modern storytelling and an approach that does not talk down to consumers.
That is why the brand pairs recipes with content themes like:
- Authentic nutrition facts and performance messaging that fit active lifestyles.
- Farm-to-table storytelling that emphasizes farmers’ commitment to doing what is right for their cows, land and communities.
- A tone that feels human, not corporate, because trust is built through relatability.
Our 2025 impact report also found that Pinterest drove strong traffic and engagement, measured through click-throughs, and that the Better With Dairy website drives strong engagement, measured through time on page and clicks. Those are meaningful trust signals because they show people are not only seeing the content, but they’re also choosing to spend time with it.
What it means for dairy farmers
We know your focus is on what keeps your operation viable, and we’re committed to ensuring every checkoff dollar you invest creates value.
Better With Dairy is built to deliver that value in two ways:
Short-term demand signals
When consumers click into dairy recipes, print them, save them and return for more, it increases the likelihood that dairy foods are purchased and used regularly.
Long-term demand protection
When Gen Z sees dairy presented in a way that fits their lives and answers their questions, it reduces the chance that dairy loses cultural relevance over time. Dairy MAX research emphasizes that this generation’s expectations are different, and meeting them is essential to dairy’s future.
This is the long game of the checkoff. We invest now so that dairy is still chosen later, by the consumers who will shape the next decade of food trends.
Year two: Doubling down on what works
The first year of Better With Dairy clarified a few key lessons:
- Recipes drive action. They are the primary traffic engine and a practical bridge between marketing and purchase behavior.
- TikTok is a high-value channel for Gen Z reach. Scale and efficiency support continued focus.
- Seasonal moments matter. The multicultural holiday collaboration proved that culturally relevant content can deliver outsized reach.
As we move into year two, our goal is to keep making Better With Dairy even more effective at what it was built to do: build trust, drive demand and keep real dairy positioned as the better choice for everyday life.
