Award for Best International Initiative for Marketing Fresh Produce to Children

Produce Business UK and The London Produce Show and Conference have launched an international competition that will award one company or marketing organisation with its first annual International Award for Marketing Fresh Produce to Children.

The “Kids Are Our Future” award, sponsored by The Embassy of the Netherlands in the UK on behalf of the Dutch fresh fruit and vegetable sector, will be presented at The London Produce Show and Conference on June 8, during the Keynote Breakfast Session at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Mayfair, London.

“With all the troubles around the globe, one thing that unites us all is that everyone wants their children to grow up strong and healthy …  and that means more consumption of fruits and vegetables,” said Jim Prevor, editor-in-chief of Produce Business UK and the founder of The London Produce Show and Conference, now celebrating its fourth year.

The competition will celebrate the organisation that has delivered a real stand-out campaign to promote and increase fresh produce consumption to children, with messaging that resonates across all borders. It is open to suppliers of produce as well as international marketing groups, retailers, foodservice distributors/operators and charitable/government entities.

“It’s important that children from a young age learn to eat a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Martijn Bergmans, Agricultural Adviser at The Embassy of The Netherlands in the United Kingdom. “As The Netherlands is a large exporter of fruits and vegetables, we are keen to see how operations within the produce industry in all four corners of the globe utilise their marketing prowess to encourage children to increase their intake of fresh produce.”

As a showcase of global leadership in efforts to increase produce consumption in the younger generation, this competition will celebrate the winning organisation’s industry-leading marketing activities and inspire their peers to improve their own marketing endeavors to raise awareness and make fresh fruits and vegetables more attractive to children.

CRITERIA FOR ENTRY
The deadline for entering your organisation’s 2017 promotions into this year’s first annual International Award for Marketing Fresh Produce to Children is midnight on May 26.

The contest honours the best marketing promotions from all segments of the fresh produce industry — from growers/packers/importers/exporters to retailers/foodservice operations/distributors to trade associations, marketing groups and charitable/government entities.

The criteria for the award is based on originality, creativity, call-to-action, execution based on budgetary constraints, and significance of results. Examples of possible promotions — commenced within the past 12 months — can draw on, but are not limited to, the following:

Use of social media to encourage families with children to buy fresh produce and cook healthier food
Cause marketing campaigns
Point-of-sale signage
Kid-specific web pages
Produce supplier collaboration
Kid-oriented recipes
Vouchers/coupons and promotions to encourage purchase
Contests
360-marketing strategy oriented toward produce for children
Educational and consumer outreach programming
Involvement of registered dietitians
Nutritional information
Tips on choosing, storing and cooking specific produce items
Day-part marketing to encourage produce at breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacking
Efforts before, during and after back-to-school periods
Outreach to classrooms/community

HOW TO ENTER
If your organisation has conducted a successful promotion over the past year, and you would like to nominate your campaign to win the award, click here.

For more information, email award@producebusinessuk.com