Brand Update 2020

Retailers Respond
Grocery stores and employees were deemed essential
to the public well-being, a mixed blessing that soon
inundated the sector with panic-driven demand from
consumers making long-term plans.
Pushed to work round the clock just to try keeping their
shelves stocked, retail food employees were on the front
lines as much as any emergency personnel.
Meijer stores across several Midwestern states expanded
its efforts to give back and support local communities.
The retail giant’s signature Simply Give program, which
generated more than $50 million since 2008 for local
food pantries, donated an additional $2.2 million in
2020.
Price Chopper stores in Kansas City took a creative
approach to maintaining stocked shelves, such as
working “across the aisle” with those who typically source
products for foodservice customers. The chain also
returned $250,000 to its community through a donation
to Harvesters Community Food Network, helping those
most affected by the pandemic.
It’s not every day that a major Hollywood filmmaker and
actor picks up the tab for groceries. But for a group of
seniors and high-risk shoppers at 29 Louisiana Winn-
Dixie stores, that’s exactly what happened when Tyler
Perry decided to spread some kindness.
Inspired by his example, Winn-Dixie’s parent company,
Southeastern Grocers, elected to pay it forward by
paying for the groceries of thousands of healthcare
professionals and first responders shopping in stores
across seven states.
“As a community, we are stronger together and will
win together with kindness,” said Anthony Hucker,
president and CEO. “Southeastern Grocers is
dedicated to being there for the community when they
need us the most, and we believe there is no better
time than now.”
In Oklahoma, Reasor’s hosted a Spring for Meals
Fund and Food Drive, as a benefit for the Community
Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma and its network of
350 partner organizations, while St. Louis bastion
Schnucks donated more than $500,000 to support
those in the region affected by the pandemic. It also
launched a Round Up at the Register campaign,
inviting shoppers to pay it forward through their
donations to the local United Way.
There may be no greater testament to the goodness
of humanity, in a year that could be measured
against history for all the wrong reasons, than
the seemingly endless examples of people helping
people. The Certified Angus Beef ® brand salutes these
and the countless others who have made this world
a better place in extremely challenging times.
EXTRA BITES
This year asked us to do a lot of
things differently.
The brand expanded communication with
partners, got creative with advertising efforts
and created resources to use from anywhere.
Brand Bites email newsletters were sent
with added frequency and more tools
crafted for folks in distribution, retail,
foodservice and restaurant businesses to
use. The team also started Brand Bites on
Demand, a monthly video deep-dive into
trends and tools for distributors.
“Great info — fantastic way of reaching
out to everyone, keeping us informed
and abreast of what is happening in this
changing environment,” as Juan Lopez of
Sysco Atlanta put it. “I’m looking forward
to the next episode!”
Digital chef chats on social media and
Zoom calls, along with online marketing
and carryout resources increased outreach
to restaurants.
“It was hard to know how we could help our
restaurant partners enough through these
challenging times. We were here
and standing ready with resources when
they needed us,” says Deanna Walenciak,
vice president of brand marketing.
The 30-second “Rare Moments Done Well” TV
commercial was reimagined as “Rare Moments
Done Differently” when the global pandemic
made at-home activities the new normal.
Numbers drive decisions. This year’s
advertising campaigns followed the data
and placed ads where people engaged most
with media. In Milwaukee, audio spots
found placement on Pandora’s streaming
service, while in Green Bay they played on the
radio. Consumer behavior insights like that
determine strategic media spends around the
country, connecting with customers in the
best place at the right time.
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