The National Grocers Association, along with sponsoring partners Kellogg’s and Unilever, have revealed the winners of the annual Creative Choice Awards, which honors and recognizes the best marketing and merchandising programs in the grocery industry.
Winners of the Creative Choice Awards gain respect throughout the industry and receive national recognition at The NGA Show, taking place Feb. 27-March 1 at the Caesars Forum Convention Center in Las Vegas.
Judged by a panel of industry experts and trade press members, the contest features eight categories in which one winner and at least one honorable mention are chosen. The judges determined category winners based on creativity, clarity, innovation and effectiveness of each entry. Additionally, two special recognition award winners were selected.
In all, NGA received more than 300 award entries.
“After another year of challenges driven by the coronavirus pandemic, independent community grocers continued to demonstrate their creativity and ability to innovate,” said Laura Strange, NGA’s SVP of communications and external affairs. “Their uncanny ability to create campaigns and deliver messages that resonate with consumers shined brightly and impressed our judges yet again.”
From the category winners, one “outstanding marketer” and one “outstanding merchandiser” will be selected by the independent supermarket community and their supporters through online voting, open now through Feb. 23: Votes can be cast here.
Marketing and merchandising category winners will be highlighted at The NGA Show. Winners of the “Outstanding Marketer/Merchandiser” title will receive complimentary registration to the 2023 NGA Show.
NGA will also have longtime industry expert, Meg Major, joining the Creative Choice Awards program as emcee of the awards breakfast and moderator of the winners’ panel discussion at the 2022 NGA Show on March 1.
Major, currently the director of industry relations at NielsenIQ, was part of the editorial team at Progressive Grocer for nearly two decades, where she spearheaded the Top Women in Grocery Awards. Having joined Winsight Media in 2017 to help launch Winsight Grocery Business, Major also led its grocery content group.
Connections through Social Media:
- Smaller operator (1-15 stores)
- Winner: Harvest Market/Niemann Foods – Cooking with Emily
- Larger operator (15+ stores)
- Winner: Pioneer Supermarkets / Associated Supermarket Group – Be the Good Neighbor
Connections through Digital Marketing or Mobile:
- Smaller operator (1-15 stores)
- Winner: Dorothy Lane Market – Self Care
- Larger operator (15+ stores)
- Winner: ARS Food Town – Three Ingredient Challenge
Traditional Media – TV, Radio and Print:
- Smaller operator (1-15 stores)
- Winner: Dorothy Lane Market – Difference Commercials
- Larger operator (15+ stores)
- Winner: Fresh Encounter – Nourish Your Mind
Grand Opening or Remodel:
- Smaller operator (1-15 stores)
- Winner: Trig’s Minocqua
- Larger operator (15+ stores)
- Winner: Coborn’s Buffalo
Local, Specialty or Emerging Products:
- Smaller operator (1-15 stores)
- Winner: LaBonne’s Market – Luke, I Am Your Fascia
- Larger Operator (15+ stores)
- Winner: Roche Bros. – Football Food Fun
Community Engagement:
- Smaller operator (1-15 stores)
- Winner: Metcalfe’s – Social Bands
- Larger operator (15+ stores)
- Winner: Weis Markets – Honoring Our Veterans
Center Store/Frozen/GM/HBC
- Smaller operator (1-15 stores)
- Winner: Chris Food Center – Stars of the Store Featuring March Frozen Food
- Larger operator (15+ stores)
- Winner: SpartanNash – Score Big
Fresh Departments
- Smaller operator (1-15 stores)
- Winner: Metcalfe’s – Build Your Feast
- Larger operator (15+ stores)
- Winner: Lowe’s Market – Mealtime Made Easy
Special Recognition:
- Supermarket Superheroes Award, presented by Kellogg’s:
- Fresh Encounter Inc. – Nourish Your Mind
- Exceeding Excellence Award, presented by Unilever:
- SpartanNash – CHEERS Beer and Wine Sale
The NGA is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale community grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry. An independent retailer is a privately owned or controlled food retail company operating a variety of formats.
The independent grocery sector is accountable for about 1.2 percent of the nation’s overall economy and is responsible for generating more than $250 billion in sales, 1.1 million jobs, $39 billion in wages and $36 billion in taxes.
NGA members include retail and wholesale grocers located in every congressional district across the country, as well as state grocers’ associations, manufacturers and service suppliers.
For more information, visit nationalgrocers.org.
For more association news from The Shelby Report, click here.
