For the Love of Dairy

Novak Birch was tasked with designing and writing an infographic that:

• Informs current and potential B2B U.S. dairy export customers—specifically importers/distributors and food and beverage manufacturers in Southeast Asia—how U.S. dairy exports are growing in the region while highlighting 2018’s record-breaking exports.
• Conveys how this increase is a testament to the strength of U.S. dairy—showing how its supplier network, product diversity, and quality assurance result in products that fit Southeast Asia’s needs and are in demand.
• Leverages this upward trend to generate B2B interest in international expansion.

Challenges included:

• A Competitive Sector: Southeast Asia is the second largest destination for U.S. dairy exports worldwide. However, USDEC faces competition from other origins, and many Southeast Asia customers are not aware that the USA is a major producer/exporter of cheese.
• Geopolitical Pressure: As tariffs take a toll in China, it’s important for the U.S. dairy industry to expand export opportunities in Southeast Asia.
• Location-Specific Visuals: Icons must be easily recognizable to an Asian audience.
• Limited Budget: USDEC is a non-profit association.

Using data points supplied by USDEC, we crafted an infographic that conveys U.S. dairy’s impact in Southeast Asia. Our process included:

• A Visual Story: We developed a framework of questions to engage readers and organized the data into sections.
• Data-Driven Graphics: We designed a system of graphics that represent each point with numbers (e.g., quantities, weights, dollars), products (e.g., milk, cheese, milk powder), and countries, leading readers through the story of growth. Then, we added engaging transitions and call-outs.
• Product-Specific Graphics: We broke down the infographic into mini graphics that can be used separately. Each corresponds with data points/questions, with icons representing products or actions. We ensured that all graphics resonate with Asian audiences; for instance, we designed a milk tanker representative of those in Asia.

• Client Testimonial: Kristi Saitama, Vice President of Ingredient Marketing, said, “Novak Birch took a rough concept intended to document statistics at a glance and turned it into a powerful, multi-purpose, multi-audience communications tool that can do in one minute what could otherwise take a lengthy conversation.”
• Reach: The infographic has been used across USDEC programs in Southeast Asia to create excitement about U.S. dairy exports.
• Expanded Use: Saitama said, “The original intended audience was importers/distributors and food and beverage manufacturers in Southeast Asia. However, the infographic is so impactful that we also used it as a resource for U.S. dairy suppliers in the USA, to convey the rising potential for U.S. dairy exports to Southeast Asia.”
• Return on Investment: The infographic is used online and offline, including for media engagement, to continue the momentum of the record-breaking year.
• Continued Work: USDEC is considering an infographic for 2019 export information and infographics for other markets.
• PR: The infographic is featured on websites, including Dairy Business, Milk Business, Agri-View, F&B Report, industrysourcing.com, and USDEC’s blog.