NGA Opens Creative Choice Award Nominations

The National Grocers Association (NGA) is accepting entries for the Creative Choice Awards, a contest sponsored by Kellogg and Unilever that recognizes the best marketing and merchandising programs from independent grocers in the past year.

The pandemic has upended traditional marketing and merchandising plans, and this year’s categories for the contest reflect that. The revamped marketing categories include: Connections through Social Media, Connections through Digital Marketing or Mobile, Traditional Media—TV, Radio and Print, and Grand Opening or Remodel. The restructured merchandising categories include: Local, Specialty or Emerging Products; Community Engagement; Center Store/Frozen/GM/HBC; and Fresh Departments (Meat/Dairy/Deli/Bakery/Floral/Produce). Each of the categories will have two winners chosen, one from operators of 1-15 stores and one from operators with more than 15 stores.

This year’s contest also features two new special recognition awards. Kellogg’s Supermarket Superheroes Award will recognize campaigns that honored a company’s front-line workers, and Unilever’s Excellence in Agility Award will focus on the ways grocers had to pivot to meet new consumer demand and how they maintained strong relationships with their new customers.

“2020 has brought grocers a year of unprecedented challenges and changes,” said Laura Strange, SVP of communications and external affairs for NGA. “But knowing that independent grocers are among the most innovative and resourceful retailers around, we’re confident that their stories of triumph this year will demonstrate their ability to flourish even in the most trying times.”

Retailers, wholesalers, suppliers, manufacturers and advertising agencies that create marketing and merchandising programs for independent grocery stores may submit entries; however, the Creative Choice Awards contest is a retailer competition and the retailer that implements the campaign will be awarded. Events, campaigns or promotions held between Dec. 1, 2019, and Dec. 1, 2020, are eligible. All entries are due Dec. 7, 2020. More information about the award categories and how to enter can be found at www.NGACreativeChoice.com.