Produce Promotions Roll Out in Time for Back to School
The campaign will run at nine retail partners nationwide: Coborn’s Inc., Fresh Thyme, Hy-Vee, Inserra Supermarkets, Meijer, Natural Grocers, Schnucks, The United Family of Stores and Weis Markets. Some examples of activations include the following:
- Hy-Vee will feature the Hy-Vee Hacks for Healthy Back-to-School Habits shopper challenge, encouraging families to opt for produce more often.
- Meijer will offer 100 shoppers an individual consultation with a registered dietitian through Have A Plant Scholarships, focusing on the incorporation of fruits and veggies into pre-school meals, lunch boxes and after-school snacks.
- Schnuck’s and Weis Markets will provide shoppers with product hacks via their respective in-store magazines.
Among the campaign’s other elements are cooking demonstrations, virtual classes, in-store displays, social media posts and produce incentive coupons.
Further, any retailer can easily access ideas, including sample social media posts, A 25 Hacks for Healthy Back-to-School Habits Infographic, in-store intercom scripts and other resources through the Hacks to Habits Back-to-School Retail Guide.
“Making it easy and fun for kids to consume more fruits and vegetables is the key to success when it comes to building lifelong healthy eating habits for children,” observed Katie Calligaro, the foundation’s director, marketing and communication. “While we know the majority of children consume meals prepared by their schools’ nutrition programs (which are required to follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans), the meals and snacks prepared at home play a critical role in boosting fruit and vegetable consumption.”
Continued Caligaro: “Providing tools that streamline messaging for retailers can help elevate fruits and vegetables in a way that consistently resonates with consumers. The more they hear it, see it and experience it, the more likely they are to repeat it, which is what creates a habit.”
This inaugural back-to-school promotion is sponsored by the foundation, along with the California Walnut Board, the Egg Nutrition Center and the National Pork Board. These partnerships emphasize the importance of pairing fruits and vegetables with other nutrient-dense foods to instill balanced, nutritious eating habits.
The Foundation for Fresh Produce merged with the Produce For Better Health Foundation (PBH) in January 2023. PBH programming, which includes the Have A Plant Movement, continues under the purview of the foundation.