IGA Introduces the IGA Hometown Healthy Challenge Event
Author: IGA News
February 5, 2009
IGA Introduces the IGA Hometown Healthy Challenge Event
IGA Teams with USDA to Bring MyPyramid’s Healthier Living Solutions to Shoppers
Chicago, IL - IGA USA today announced the launch of its newest consumer-driven marketing event, IGA Hometown Healthy Challenge. IGA, a charter partner of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) MyPyramid Corporate Challenge, developed the MyPyramid-based marketing event to deliver IGA Retailers the resources they need to introduce their shoppers to healthier food and lifestyle choices. The IGA Hometown Healthy Challenge will take place in participating IGA stores Feb. 15 – March 14.
MyPyramid was created by the USDA to provide easy-to-follow recommendations for a healthier lifestyle, including guidelines for food choices and exercise plans. The IGA Hometown Healthy Challenge encourages IGA shoppers to recognize and experience MyPyramid’s guidelines through educational in-store signage, Web resources found on www.iga.com, informative bag-stuffers, and a national consumer sweepstakes with fitness-oriented prizes. Through the random-drawing national sweepstakes, three IGA shoppers will each win a $1,000 cash prize, and also have the opportunity to designate which organization in their communities will receive $5,000 toward fitness programming on behalf of their local IGA.
IGA Hometown Healthy Challenge is sponsored by a select group of IGA’s Red Oval Family manufacturing partners, including Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Campbell Soup Company, Coca-Cola, IGA Private Brands, Kraft Foods, McCormick & Company, Inc., Nestlé, Nestlé Purina Petcare Company and Unilever. As an extra benefit to consumers, IGA stores will also offer during a two-week time period within the event valuable savings on healthier food choices from each of these brands.
According to IGA USA CEO Mark Batenic, the decision to incorporate the MyPyramid “Steps to a Healthier You” platform into one of IGA’s four marketing events in 2009 was in direct response to consumers’ growing focus on health and wellness, and IGA Retailers’ desire to provide healthy lifestyle solutions for their customers. “Our IGA retailers understand that health and wellness is a growing concern all across America. IGA Hometown Healthy Challenge’s focus on balanced diet and exercise gives IGA retailers a vehicle for promoting a healthy lifestyle among their shoppers. Our retailers are enthusiastically embracing the eventand customizing it to meet the particular needs of their communities. We’re hearing about some very exciting plans, ranging from fitness contests to in-store health fairs. Once again, we’re seeing evidence of the fact that IGA retailers will go the extra mile to demonstrate their commitment to their customers and their community,” Batenic said.
IGA is the world’s largest voluntary supermarket network with aggregate worldwide retail sales of more than $21 billion per year. The Alliance includes nearly 4,000 Hometown Proud Supermarkets worldwide, supported by 36 distribution companies and more than 55 major manufacturers, vendors and suppliers encompassing everything from grocery to equipment items. IGA has operations in 46 of the United States and more than 40 countries, commonwealths and territories on all six inhabited continents.