Kroger Lets Brands Stand Out

Kroger has a robust promotional calendar full of annualized programs and often requires manufacturers to get in line with its own messaging. However, the nation’s largest supermarket operator does offer opportunities for brands to stand out as part of its larger events.Bringing Hope to the TableKroger spiced up last winter’s execution of its annual “Bringing Hope to the Table” cause campaign supporting nonprofit Feeding America through partnerships with multiple manufacturers. General Mills provided an exclusive, company-wide sweepstakes tying in to its own “Outnumber Hunger” program, which also supports Feeding America. Consumers entered from Dec. 11-30, 2014, by watching a promotional video on the retailer’s campaign website (BringingHopetotheTable.com) and could earn additional entries by answering a question about the video and promoting the sweeps via social media. The grand prize was a trip to see country band Florida Georgia Line at an unspecified 2015 concert.Kroger also partnered with Campbell Soup Co. to pledge to donate one meal to Feeding America (up to 48,000) every time a Facebook user shared information about the cause effort. Meanwhile, ConAgra Foods pledged to donate an additional $15,000 to Feeding America between Dec. 1, 2014, and Jan. 1, 2015, and provided custom floorstands and pallet displays merchandising brands including Ro-Tel, Hunt’s, Chef Boyardee and Manwich. In addition to fundraising through product sales, stores also solicited donations at checkout. Stanchion signs, TV and radio spots, circular features and social media activity supported the effort.Sharing CourageGeneral Mills’ Yoplait has played a leading role in Kroger’s annual “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” campaign for the past five years. Last October, Yoplait joined with Kroger to pledge $1 to the American Cancer Society (up to $20,000) for every tweet or Facebook post made throughout the month with the hashtags #SharingCourage or #FriendsintheFight. The effort kicked off on Oct. 2 with the retailer decorating its Cincinnati corporate headquarters for the fifth year with pink lights and a 150-foot banner spotlighting its partnership with Yoplait. Radio spots rounded out the marketing campaign.Game Day GreatsKroger has used a “Game Day Greats” theme for its football season marketing since 2011, mostly applying it to scale events. But this January, the retailer partnered with National Football League sponsors PepsiCo and Mars Inc. for a “Game Day Greats” instant-win game awarding three winners a prize package comprising a 55-inch Samsung HDTV, a Bose speaker system, a Samsung Blu-ray player, a Roku and a jersey signed by former Detroit Lions player Barry Sanders. Thousands of runners-up received coupons for free SKUs from the two manufacturers that were loaded directly onto their loyalty cards. Cardholders entered from Jan. 18 through Feb. 4 on a promotional page operated by Brisbane, California-based You Technology.Carousel ads on chain home pages and Facebook updates linked to the Web page, which also hosted downloadable coupons for Mars’ Starburst and M&M’s, and PepsiCo’s Muller (yogurt). A promotional video showing Sanders shopping at Kroger activated PepsiCo’s sponsorship of the Super Bowl halftime show.The retailer had begun its fall football season marketing by partnering with Mars for a company-wide “Kick Off to Savings” instant-win game. Running on a promotional website from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13, 2014, the game awarded a grand-prize trip to Glendale, Arizona, to attend the Super Bowl on Feb. 1. Ten runners-up received tickets to a 2015 regular-season game, while thousands of others got $1 to $5 in store credit, or coupons for free Snickers or M&M’s products loaded directly onto their loyalty cards.A carousel ad on chain home pages, ads in multiple emails and several Facebook updates linked to the entry page. Display ads on the websites of local newspapers such as the Dayton Daily News supported. Kroger also partnered with Snickers for a “Kick Off to Savings” instant-win game during the 2013 NFL season.Meanwhile, Kroger continued to find takers for its more standard “Game Day Greats” account-specific activity. Last fall, the message appeared on custom displays from manufacturers including Mondelez International and Coca-Cola Co., the latter using it to cross-merchandise its beverages with chicken tenders from store deli departments.

Kroger Lets Brands Stand Out

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