Big Heart Pet Brands, PepsiCo receive GMA awards

The Grocery Manufacturer Association and its Advisory Council awarded Big Heart Pet Brands and PepsiCo with 2014 CPG awards for Innovation and Creativity at the GMA Leadership Forum in Colorado Springs Saturday.

Pamela G. Bailey

“The CPG Award for Innovation and Creativity embodies the spirit of our industry, which has long relied on ingenuity to drive growth and ensure that we are serving consumers efficiently and effectively,” said GMA president and CEO Pamela G. Bailey, in a statement. 

Big Heart Pet Brands took the award in Division A, for companies with total sales of $3 billion, for its development and launch of Milk-Bone Brushing Chews.

Citing oral health as an important issue for dogs, Big Heart Pet Brands and Milk-Bone set out to develop a chew that would be as effective as traditional brushing and reframe oral care for dogs in a way that would motivate pet parents to care for their dogs’ teeth as they do their own.

Big Heart Pet Brands formed a dedicated cross-functional team, and leveraged 3D prototyping and neurological research testing. The result was Milk-Bone Brushing Chews, an oral care product that earned the Veterinary Oral Health Council’s Seal of Acceptance for retarding tartar accumulation.

Supported with a 75 degree twist design, distinctive packaging and a 360 degree path-to-habit marketing plan, which includes advertising, sampling, shopper marketing and veterinary outreach, Milk-Bone Brushing Chews are on pace to be a Top 10 CPG product launch for 2013, according to GMA.

PepsiCo earned top honors in Division B (sales of more than $3 billion) for its “Do Us A Flavor” Lay’s potato chip promotion.

“Do Us A Flavor” is based on the premise of inviting consumers to submit ideas for new flavors of Lay’s potato chips and vote to decide which of the three finalist flavors would remain on shelves. The program focused on inviting Millennial consumers to immerse themselves and engage with the brand in new ways.

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Guided by consumer insights, PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay team created a three-phased promotion that played to Millennials’ desire for self-expression. It leveraged events, celebrity spokespeople and shopper marketing, along with more traditional tactics, to drive consumers to a Facebook-centered social media experience where they could directly engage with the brand, according to GMA.

The program generated millions of flavor submissions and Cheesy Garlic Bread potato chips became the latest flavor in the Lay’s portfolio. The program also boosted sales, increased brand penetration among Millennial consumers and generated unprecedented social media engagement.

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