Live From FMI Midwinter: National Family Meals Month

1/25/2015

Numerous studies have underscored the long-term health, academic and societal benefits of eating together as a family. Yet, according to a 2013 Harris poll, only about 30 percent of American families share dinner every night.

Seizing on an opportunity for grocery retailers, the Food Marketing Institute took the occasion of its 2015 Midwinter Conference this weekend to announce a September marketing initiative with the nation’s grocers aimed at highlighting food retailers’ unique family meal programs and their commitment to bringing families back to the table, one meal at a time.

Cathy Polley, FMI Foundation’s executive director and FMI VP of health and wellness, symbolically called association members to "Commit to the Mitt," brandishing a ceremonial oven mitt before the cheering crowd.

Family Mealtimes Critical

The initiative was introduced Saturday night during the FMI Foundation’s annual gala event, held on the first night of the Midwinter Conference at the Fontainebleau Resort in Miami Beach. Polley explained that National Family Meals Month will provide FMI members with both the platform and tools for showcasing their mealtime resources.

“Our members are doing more than ever to inspire and support home cooking, from quick dinner solutions, cooking classes and nutrition advice, to shortcuts like pre-prepped ingredients and freshly prepared entrees,” Polley said. “FMI’s resources will give members a new way to showcase these creative meal programs throughout September.”

With family mealtime at a critical intersection, this month-long FMI member communications campaign will give the grocery industry a unified theme and turnkey promotional tools to encourage consumers to lean on their local supermarket to prepare one more family meal per week at home.

“Food retailers are known supporters of their communities and proponents of neighborhood values,” said FMI President and CEO Leslie Sarasin. “Their commitment makes them a logical and reliable font of resources and meal solutions encouraging families to eat more meals together – an activity with known societal benefits. This campaign highlights how food retailers and wholesalers fulfill their mission of feeding families and enriching lives.”

Beginning in February, FMI will offer its members a free downloadable toolkit featuring customizable promotional and social media materials that enable grocers and consumer product brands to easily integrate National Family Meals Month marketing into their existing promotional schedules. Members can access the toolkit on FMI’s Family Meals website.

#CommitToTheMitt

Watch for further updates from FMI Midwinter at Progressivegrocer.com and on Twitter: @pgrocer, @jimdudlicek and @JoanPGrocer

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