The FMI Foundation has announced the recipients of its 2024 Gold Plate Awards, which recognize programs implemented by the food industry to encourage family meals.
“As we celebrate another successful National Family Meals Month, it’s encouraging to see that 31 percent of Americans are aware of this important initiative, and even more inspiring to learn that an impressive 95 percent of those individuals have made positive changes to their food habits,” said David Fikes, executive director of the foundation.
“This national effort reflects a growing recognition of the contributions shared meals bring to human connections, communication and overall well-being – principles we highlight through our Gold Plate Awards.”
Category A: 1 – 49 stores
Skogen’s Festival Foods
Skogen’s “Making Meals Easier” campaign provided families with cooking tips and recipes, supported by vendor partnerships and multi-channel promotions through social media, in-store displays and emails. An incentive program encouraging donations to Food for Neighbors benefitted 40 food pantries with more than $50,000 in contributions – a 22 percent increase from 2023.
Category B: 50 – 199 stores
Coborn’s
Coborn’s promoted the importance of shared mealtime while addressing barriers facing families. Focusing on pork, 66 stores collaborated on meal kit displays and recipe highlights, with top-performing stores earning gift card incentives. Social media efforts reached more than 5,000 shoppers, and e-commerce promotions engaged 114,000 viewers. The campaign boosted pork sales by more than 22 percent and tonnage by 20 percent year over year.
Category C: 200+ stores
Hy-Vee Inc.
Hy-Vee promoted family meals and addressed food insecurity with initiatives like the “Great Grocery Race,” where contest food was donated to food banks. Its WK Kellogg Co. partnership resulted in 400,000 meals for Feeding America. Dietitian-led outreach promoted affordable meal options and the campaign, which generated $12.1 million in media value, reaching 435 million people.
Category D: Manufacturer
Campbell Soup Company
Campbell’s “Making Dinners a Win” initiative focused on affordability and value, combining in-store displays, digital recipes and partnerships with Giant Food and the Philadelphia Phillies. Its consumer newsletter, opened by 17 percent of 20,000 recipients, was complemented by a LinkedIn blog, generating 3,000 impressions and 3.6 percent engagement.
Category E: Community Collaborator
The Foundation for Fresh Produce
The Foundation for Fresh Produce’s “Have a Plant with Family” initiative promoted healthy eating during Family Meals and Fruits & Veggies Month through toolkits, social media campaigns and newsletters reaching 49,000 people. The content generated more than 100 social engagements and 3,400 website impressions.
Category F: Family Meals Movement
Ahold Delhaize USA
Ahold Delhaize USA’s Savory Magazine’s “Family Meals Movement – Back to Basics” aimed to promote affordable mealtime solutions with more than 860,000 print copies distributed across four of the company’s grocery brands. The campaign included a meal planning guide featuring recipes and nutrition tips, along with a landing page that attracted more than 10,000 viewers and social media promotions that garnered more than 25,500 impressions.
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Honorable mentions
- K-VA-T Food Stores Inc. – K-VA-T Food’s “Meals Made for Sharing” campaign promoted family meals through recipe booklets, media appearances and MyPlate resources, reaching more than 40,000 shoppers.
- Southeastern Grocers Inc. – Southeastern Grocers addressed shared meal benefits and food insecurity by distributing 105,000 pounds of food, hosting community meals and donating $100,000 to Feeding America.
- Merchants Distributors LLC – Merchants Distributors boosted family meals with themed promotions, creative contests and multi-channel marketing, increasing event item sales by 22 percent.
Details about each Gold Plate Award recipient are available at FMI.org/GoldPlateAwards
