Communicating the Value of the South Dakota Wheat Checkoff

McCracken partnered with the South Dakota Wheat Commission to develop clear, cohesive marketing materials to help growers better understand how their wheat checkoff dollars are invested. Through strategic messaging and thoughtful design, the project brought consistency to SD Wheat’s printed communications, clearly demonstrating the Commission’s impact across research, domestic markets, and global trade.

MESSAGING STRATEGY • CONTENT DEVELOPMENT • GRAPHIC DESIGN

About

South Dakota Wheat Commission

The South Dakota Wheat Commission (SD Wheat) works to stabilize and improve South Dakota’s wheat industry through research, market development, and education. Serving wheat growers across the state, SD Wheat is focused on advancing long-term profitability and sustainability for South Dakota wheat producers.

McCracken has partnered with the South Dakota Wheat Commission for years, providing ongoing marketing support, most notably through social media, to help the organization consistently engage growers and communicate its value across its social channels.

The Challenge

The SD Wheat Commission wanted to strengthen grower communication and expand its brand awareness through printed marketing materials. The goal was twofold: to create rack slips for wheat growers requesting refund checks and to develop a trifold brochure that could be used at events, meetings, and for everyday outreach.

SD Wheat sought guidance on determining what information belonged on each piece and how to clearly explain the value and impact of the wheat checkoff. Ensuring the messaging was cohesive across materials was critical to showcasing how SD Wheat’s work directly supports growers.

The Solution

McCracken approached this project with a clear strategy to demonstrate the value of the SD Wheat Commission and the impact of the wheat checkoff. The focus was on helping SD Wheat communicate to growers how their checkoff dollars are invested.

To do this, McCracken first determined the role each printed material would play and developed content around SD Wheat’s key priorities, which included research conducted through South Dakota State University, market development in domestic markets, and export efforts in global markets.

From there, design and copy, aligned with SD Wheat’s existing brand standards, would work together to reinforce the value of the checkoff.

project workflow management presentation mockup

Implementation

To kick off this project, McCracken began with discovery and strategy to ensure a strong understanding of the Commission’s priorities and how best to communicate the value of the wheat checkoff to growers.

McCracken then led content development, drafting copy aligned with each key priority area – research, domestic market development, and international markets. Design followed, applying existing brand standards to create a fresh and cohesive look across each piece.

The final deliverables included three unique, double-sided refund slip cards, each highlighting a specific checkoff investment area and designed to be included in refund check mailings, as well as a trifold brochure for broader brand awareness. Throughout the process, McCracken collaborated with SD Wheat at every stage, refining both messaging and design to ensure the materials worked well together.

Results

- Delivered a cohesive set of marketing materials to communicate the value and impact of the wheat checkoff.
- Strengthened grower understanding and awareness of how the South Dakota Wheat Commission invests checkoff dollars to support grower profitability and sustainability.
- Created consistent messaging and design across printed materials.
- Provided SD Wheat with easy-to-use materials for both direct mail and in-person outreach.