Ahold USA Suppliers Star in ‘Fresh Stories’

Ahold USA brands Stop & Shop Giant Landover, Giant/Martin’s and e-grocer Peapod have launched a video campaign, Fresh Stories, consisting of more than 30 profiles of fresh product suppliers that have been viewed more than 14 million times so far in 2017.

“Customers want to know about the who, where, what and how of their food,” noted Amy Hahn, SVP of marketing for Carlisle, Pa.-based Ahold USA. “Fresh Stories is a great forum for customers of our brands to learn about the companies and individuals who supply items they purchase at our stores. We set out to make the video series authentic and enjoyable, and our brands couldn’t be happier with the outcome.”

Each video features a supplier recounting where and how their product is sourced, and the importance of their partnership with Ahold USA brands.

“One of the advantages of being a local vendor is that we’re going to be pulling plants today, and we’re going to be shipping them out to stores tomorrow,” said John Carl, manager at Zionsville, Pa.-based Dan Schantz Farms and floral supplier for Giant/Martin’s, in a Fresh Stories video. “We’re constantly working to keep it on a personal level so it’s the best quality, and something that we would be proud to put into our home.”

Most of the documentary-style videos were directed and produced by Ahold USA’s creative agency partner, Dillsburg, Pa.-based Viscul Creative. Over the past year, the work has earned nine awards in regional, national and international competitions.

Fresh Stories are distributed to customers across various digital platforms, among them email, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and AUSA websites. All of the award-winning Fresh Stories are available on the brands’ YouTube channels: Stop & Shop, Giant Food Stores and Martin's Food Markets.

Ahold USA, a company of Ahold Delhaize, supports four regional divisions – Stop & Shop New England, Stop & Shop New York Metro, Giant Landover and Giant Carlisle – that together operate about 780 supermarkets with 115,000 associates in 14 states and Washington, D.C., along with online grocer Peapod.