With 4,300 attendees representing 1,800 retail stores and more than 330 vendors, Supervalu hosted its second annual National Expo Aug. 11-13. The company also named the winners of its 2015 Master Marketer Competition during an awards ceremony Aug. 12 at the RiverCentre in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The annual competition recognizes and celebrates the top marketing campaigns executed by Supervalu’s 1,800-plus independent retailer customers. Award categories honor a variety marketing initiatives ranging from community outreach programs to radio and television advertising and social media activations.
Niemann Foods, based in Quincy, Illinois, took home the competition’s top honor as the 2015 Grand Master Marketer for its comprehensive marketing campaigns implemented throughout the past year. To honor the retailer’s achievements, Supervalu surprised Niemann with a $25,000 grant, payable to the charity of Niemann’s choice, from Supervalu’s charitable foundation.
“The independent retailers we serve do a phenomenal job of connecting with their customers every day. The Master Marketer awards showcase the best of the best,” said Janel Haugarth, EVP and president of independent business and supply chain services at Supervalu. “This year’s competition drew a record number of entries and once again demonstrated our independent retail customers’ exceptional level of creativity and commitment to their local communities.”
This year’s competition included 475 entries from grocery retailers throughout the nation, with 20 winners selected across 10 marketing categories. Each category includes a Tier 1 and Tier 2 winner, with tiers based on the size and volume of the company’s business. In addition to the category winners, an overall Master Marketer for each tier was selected. Graceway Smart Supermarket, based in the Turks & Caicos Islands, took home Tier 1 honors and McCaffrey’s of Princeton, New Jersey, received Tier 2’s top recognition. New this year, Supervalu added a People’s Choice Award. All audience attendees were given an opportunity to vote on their favorite TV commercial through the National Expo mobile app. Winning the first-ever People’s Choice award with 23 percent of the audience vote was Rhinelander, Wisconsin-based Trig’s for its “Smokehouse Buy Online” campaign.
Each Master Marketer category winner is automatically entered into the National Grocers Association’s Creative Choice Awards, which are presented at the association’s show in Las Vegas each February.
The full list of Supervalu’s Master Marketer winners for all categories are:
• 2015 Grand Master Marketer: Niemann Foods (Quincy, Illinois)
• 2015 Master Marketer
– Tier 1: Graceway Smart Supermarket (Turks & Caicos Islands)
– Tier 2: McCaffrey’s (Princeton, New Jersey)
• Website/Social Media
– Tier 1: County Market (Pittsfield, Illinois), Facebook Flash Frozen Foods
– Tier 2: Shop ‘n Save (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), Penguins Ticket Surprise & Delight
• Grand Opening/Anniversary
– Tier 1: Graceway Smart Supermarket (Turks & Caicos), Grand Opening
– Tier 2: Gordy’s Market (Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin), Branding Campaign
• Public Service/Community
– Tier 1: Murphy’s at the Lake (Medford, New Jersey), Golf Classic
– Tier 2: Sentry Foods (Waukesha, Wisconsin), Baby Shower
• Fresh Departments
– Tier 1: Schiff’s (Scranton, Pennsylvania), One Day Meat Sale
– Tier 2: County Market (Decatur, Illibois), Tater in Decatur
• Center Store Departments
– Tier 1: Western Markets (Rocky Ridge, Alabama), Warehouse Sale
– Tier 2: Remke Markets (Crescent Springs, Kentucky), Stuff the Bus
• Extra Effort Advertising
– Tier 1: County Market (Quincy, Illinois), Company is Coming
– Tier 2: McCaffrey’s (Princeton, New Jersey), Food Showcase
• Private Brands
– Tier 1: Gordy’s Market (Augusta, Wisconsin), Wild Harvest Debut
– Tier 2: Shop ‘n Save (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), Wild Harvest Launch
• Industry Promotions
– Tier 1: Krause’s Market (Garrison, North Dakota), National Beef Stampede
– Tier 2: Metcalfe’s Hilldale Sentry (Madison, Wisconsin), Bring Home Local
• Radio Spots
– Tier 1: Island Foods Great Valu (Chincoteague, Virginia), Cheap Chicken
– Tier 2: Gordy’s Market (Eau Claire, Wisconsin), Oktoberfest Radio
• TV Commercials
– Tier 1: Corner Market (Hattiesburg, Mississippi), Joe’s Pick TV Spot
– Tier 2: Kowalski’s Markets (Woodbury, Minnesota), Joy of Good Food
• People’s Choice Award for TV Commercials: Trig’s (Rhinelander, Wisconsin), Smokehouse Buy Online
*Editor’s note: The Shelby Report attended Supervalu’s 2015 National Expo. Go here to see photos.