The National Grocers Association (NGA) is excited to invite entries for its 2025 Creative Choice Awards, a prestigious recognition of outstanding marketing and merchandising initiatives from independent grocery retailers conducted over the past year. This annual competition showcases creativity, effectiveness, and innovation within the grocery retail sector and is now receiving submissions online.
This year’s awards include a range of categories that reflect the dynamic landscape of grocery marketing and merchandising. The main categories are divided into Marketing and Merchandising, with a variety of subcategories focusing on elements such as Digital Connections, Traditional Media, Community Engagement, and Fresh Departments. Below is a comprehensive breakdown of the categories available for this year’s submissions:
Marketing Categories:
– Digital Connections
– Traditional Media: TV, Radio, and Print
– Innovations in Integrated Marketing
– Community Engagement
– Grand Opening or Remodel
– Multicultural Marketing
– Shopper Experience
– Top Pick for Talent
Merchandising Categories:
– Local, Specialty or Emerging Products
– Fresh Departments (dairy, bakery/deli/prepared foods/foodservice, meat/seafood, produce/floral)
– Center Store/Frozen
– General Merchandise/Health and Beauty Care
– Private Label/Store Brands
The 2025 Creative Choice Awards present significant updates this year. Notably, the introduction of the Multicultural Marketing category recognizes marketing efforts aimed at engaging diverse communities. Furthermore, the Shopper Experience category spotlights the increasingly vital integration of in-store and e-commerce shopping experiences—an area that has gained momentum as consumers have shifted their shopping habits.
Another new addition is the Top Pick for Talent category, which rewards outreach efforts that position grocery retail as an attractive career option for younger generations entering the workforce. Moreover, the Community Engagement category has expanded to include seasonal events, which demonstrates a commitment to fostering community connections through various activities.
Within the merchandising realm, separate divisions for fresh departments facilitate more focused entries regarding specific products. In addition, the creation of a new category dedicated to private label and store brand initiatives underscores the evolving strategies of retailers to promote their unique offerings.
Laura Strange, NGA’s chief communications and engagement officer, explained the rationale behind these changes: “The increasing diversity of the shopping experience and the varied offerings from independent grocers have compelled us to broaden the entry categories for the Creative Choice Awards. This provides additional opportunities for independent retailers to be recognized for their creativity and innovation.”
The awards also feature special recognition categories sponsored by industry leaders. The Kellanova’s ESG Excellence Award will recognize campaigns that prioritize wellbeing, community, and sustainability. Similarly, Unilever’s People Positive Award honors initiatives fostering workplace diversity and inclusion.
Entries to the Creative Choice Awards are open to retailers, wholesalers, suppliers, manufacturers, and advertising agencies that develop marketing and merchandising programs for independent grocery outlets. However, it is essential to note that this is a retailer-specific competition, meaning the entity that implements the campaign will be the one to receive accolades.
Only events, campaigns, or promotions that occur between December 1, 2023, and December 1, 2024, are eligible for consideration. Participants can submit entries across various categories, with a maximum of three submissions allowed.
The deadline for completed entries is Friday, December 20, 2024. Each submission will be scrutinized based on creativity, clarity, and overall effectiveness. Notably, an Outstanding Marketer and an Outstanding Merchandiser will be selected from among the category winners, with the final decision resting in the hands of public online voting.
The winning entries will be announced during the 2025 NGA Show, where recipients will be celebrated with a year-long recognition.
This initiative demonstrates NGA’s ongoing commitment to supporting independent grocers, highlighting their essential role in the food distribution industry. By showcasing best practices, strategic marketing efforts, and innovation, the Creative Choice Awards aim to motivate and inspire independent retailers to continuously evolve with changing market demands.
In conclusion, the 2025 Creative Choice Awards present a unique platform for independent grocery retailers to showcase their strengths and engage with communities through innovative marketing and merchandising strategies. Given the new categories and the emphasis on inclusivity and diversity, entries this year are bound to reflect the rich, vibrant tapestry of the grocery sector.
