Grocers to Attend PBH Virtual Influencer Event
As part of its continuing influencer engagement strategy and thought leadership platform, the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) will hold a virtual influencer event. The Have A Plant Nation Virtual Influencer Event will offer education and actionable solutions to activate across three points of influence: point of sale at retail, point of service at foodservice, and online point of inspiration. The Sept. 29-30 event will also wrap up National Fruits & Veggies Month.
To ensure an intimate and exclusive environment, the foundation invited 50 strategically selected influencers from retail, foodservice, and the PBH Fruit and Vegetable Ambassadors in Action Influencer Network, in addition to a limited number of sponsors.
Confirmed retail attendees are representatives from Albertsons, Big Y Foods Inc., Coburn’s Inc., Fresh Thyme Market, Giant Food, The Giant Co., Hannaford, Harmons Grocery, H-E-B, Hy-Vee Inc., The Kroger Co., Natural Grocers, Raley’s, Rouses Markets, SpartanNash, Wakefern Food Corp., Wegmans Food Markets and Weis Markets.
“COVID-19 has completely disrupted how we traditionally connect and engage to build powerful partnerships that promote fruits and vegetables,” noted Sharese Roper, member engagement director at Brentwood, Missouri-based PBH. “In my day-to-day conversations with our members, it became clear that the abrupt shift to a fully virtual world created a void as well as a subsequent craving for intimate engagement and meaningful relationship building with the people who, even during stay-at-home orders, are inspiring consumers and their shopping lists every day.”
“Now more than ever, it’s important to provide the public with the information and inspiration they are seeking regarding their health and well-being,” added PBH President and CEO Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak. “In addition to PBH as a credible source of science-based information, Americans also rely on health and nutrition professionals, culinary and fitness experts as trusted sources for information. The PBH Have a Plant Nation Virtual Influencer Event unites important retail and foodservice professionals, as well as healthy-lifestyle influencers with fruit and vegetable industry leaders, to inspire actionable solutions that can positively impact consumers’ consumption habits.”
Last year, the foundation designated September as National Fruits & Veggies Month as part of it’s a comprehensive strategic plan to promote new fruit and vegetable consumption behaviors as a national priority. This year, the organization is aiming to expand the reach and impact of its Have A Plant campaign not only through the exclusive virtual event, but also through a themed toolkit and several partnerships, including with the FMI Foundation to highlight produce-packed family meals.
During the two-day event, attendees will take part in education sessions, virtual tasting experiences, and small-group virtual visits – a Zoom-inspired two-way, video-to-video session for individual sponsors to meet exclusively with 10 to 12 influencers at one time. Attendees will also be the first to hear select top-line results from the PBH’s “2020 State of The Plate: Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in America” research, and can learn from top produce industry executives during a final leadership panel presentation.
