NGA Foundation invests in campaign to attract essential grocery workers

The NGA Foundation, a nonprofit arm of the National Grocers Association, is investing in a multichannel campaign to attract workers from other industries displaced due to the pandemic to new careers in the grocery industry, focusing on independent supermarkets.

According to the Foundation, “At a time when foodservice and other channels of retail have pared down their workforces because of pandemic-related restrictions on their operations, grocers — deemed an essential business — have a need for additional help as demand has soared for food prepared and consumed at home. While grocery is constantly seeking new talent to join its ranks, the pandemic has made this ongoing need more pressing.”

The NGA Foundation Career Center was launched in 2019 with the financial support of the dissolved East Central Ohio Food Dealers. Those funds are now being invested in a new marketing campaign to increase awareness of the Career Center as a resource for employers and job seekers alike and to drive traffic to the site at grocerycareer.org.

The multichannel campaign, led by industry expert marketing firm AR Marketing, includes digital retargeting ads, social media and Spotify ads in key markets, designed to spread awareness about the Career Center’s resources as well as news about industry career fairs and hiring initiatives.

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Employers and job seekers alike can use the site as a resource for information on new careers in grocery retail and employment opportunities at all levels of the grocery industry. The campaign aims to drive traffic to and increase awareness of the site, which directly connects users to the top jobs and candidates available with independent supermarkets throughout the country.

Employers and job seekers alike can use the site as a resource for information on new careers in grocery retail and employment opportunities at all levels of the grocery industry.

Job exposure and views in the Career Center have increased steadily since the start of the campaign. Exposures rose 270% between September and November, according to the NGA Foundation, while job views rose 170% during the same period.

“AB testing has shown that the ‘You can be essential’ messaging is really resonating with job seekers,” said Maggie White, director of the NGA Foundation.

Facebook impressions of Career Center job postings increased more than 1,000% during the campaign, while engagements rose 975% and post link clicks increased 800%.

Career Center Spotify ads enjoyed a 1-1 impressions-to-reach ratio, with nearly 90% of users listening to ads all the way through.

“The Career Center website is a great place to learn more about the grocery industry and the many jobs that are available at a crucial juncture in the nation’s economy,” White said. “Workers displaced from industries like foodservice and hospitality due to the pandemic already have the appropriate skills to be successful in grocery.”

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The website includes information about grocery careers, listings of job opportunities from operators across the country and descriptions of the career tracks that exist with independent grocery retailers, wholesalers and distributors.

The Arlington, Va.-based National Grocers Association is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry. The independent grocery sector is responsible for generating $131 billion in sales, 944,000 jobs, $30 billion in wages and $27 billion in taxes.

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