U.S. Commodity Promotion Organizations: Objectives, Activities, and Evaluation Methods

During the summer of 1990 we asked all of the U.S. commodity promotion organizations we could identify to complete a questionnaire about their objectives, program activities, and evaluation methods. The 116 organizationsthat responded had a total staff of 2,017 and invested over $750 million in programs and administration in 1990. The responses indicated that producerboards of directors are very much involved in formulating program objectives.All of our respondents place a high priority on increasing aggregate commodity sales and on maximizing producer net returns. They use a variety of strategies and means to achieve their objectives, and also use a variety of evaluation methods. This report discusses in detail the relationships among objectives, activities, and evaluation methods. Our analysis of the responses leads us to conclude that those organizations that combine econometric analysis with a mix of other evaluation measures are likely to have a more comprehensive understanding of the role that their promotion programs play in changing consumer beliefs and attitudes, and subsequently, purchasing behavior .