AWG Brands Promotion Heats Up Frozen Food Sales
A recent frozen food-focused promotion by Associated Wholesale Grocers’ AWG Brands gave the category a significant boost with the company reporting a 58% overall incremental sales lift from its member retailers.
The Frozen Food Happiness campaign emphasized the convenience, variety, and fun that frozen food can bring to everyday meals. With a strong digital presence, the campaign centered around an engaging social media competition to connect directly with consumers, driving awareness and increasing sales.
In the style of the recent NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, participants completed a bracket of Best Choice Family of Brands frozen food products and voted via social media for their favorites. The winning product, Best Choice Buttermilk Biscuits, claimed the Frozen Food Happiness title. Now in its third year, social media followers surged by more than 140%, while interactions in the competition grew by more than 300% compared to last year.
The campaign's success was amplified by partnerships within AWG’s Retail Marketing Network (RMN). Exclusive digital coupons and email content were distributed through RMN, boosting consumer awareness and sales. Frozen food products highlighted in the campaign saw a 58% overall incremental sales lift from AWG member retailers. In addition, member retailers saw a 50% increase in consumer digital coupon redemptions for promoted frozen food products compared to the prior month.
“We’re thrilled with the success of Frozen Food Happiness,” said Emily Detwiler, AWG Brands vice president. “This campaign has not only helped showcase the breadth and benefits of our frozen food offerings but has also driven significant engagement and sales for AWG member retailers.”
Consumer winners of the bracket competition were announced in April. They received AWG Brands product prize packs, along with gift certificates to purchase their favorite frozen food items.
AWG’s frozen food promotion was held during National Frozen Food Month, an initiative by the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) aimed at educating consumers about the benefits of frozen foods. AWG has supported this initiative for nearly a decade, winning two Golden Penguin Awards for past Frozen Food Happiness campaigns.
“AWG has been a long-time member of NFRA,” said Tye Anthony, AWG Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer. “We’re proud to support this initiative and participate in the National Frozen Food Month campaign.”
