This year marks the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association’s (NFRA) 40th annual celebration of March Frozen Food Month. The late Murray Lender, then president of New Haven, Connecticut-based Lender’s Bagel Bakery (Lender’s Bagels), which is now a unit of Bimbo Bakeries USA, was instrumental in developing the first campaign of its kind in 1984 as an initiative to increase frozen food sales. The promotion is now nationally recognized and continues to champion the benefits and importance of engaging shoppers and encouraging the purchase of frozen foods.
The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-headquartered NFRA has sponsored March Frozen Food Month since its inception and continues to promote retail frozen food sales to consumers by sharing resources with its members throughout March. The effort includes distribution of recipes, point-of-sale materials, social content, helpful tips and more. The Association also administers the Golden Penguin Awards Competition, which honors the best marketing and merchandising in the industry during promotional periods. It is open to organizations of all sizes, including retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, sales agents, and associations promoting March Frozen Food Month.
The Golden Penguin Awards provide an exceptional opportunity for companies from any segment of the industry to be nationally recognized for excellence in merchandising and marketing frozen foods. The awards program features categories that reflect today’s innovative marketing practices, including In-Store Display, In-Store Event, Community Involvement, Social Media Campaign, Retail Dietitian Wellness Programs, Private Brand Campaign and Overall Marketing Campaign with subcategories for: Retailer, Wholesaler, Manufacturer, Sales Agent, and Local Association.
Judged by a panel of distinguished marketing professionals and based on final entry scores, winners receive a Gold or Silver award and will be honored for their outstanding work at the NFRA Convention, taking place October 6-10 in San Diego, California. A segment of the highest scoring winners will be named Top Marketers, which is unveiled during the Awards Luncheon at the convention.
This awards competition offers an opportunity for companies of any size to be recognized for their hard work in promoting March Frozen Food Month, whether in-store, in the community, or through various social/digital marketing and other merchandising programs. Entrants are invited to submit their supporting documentation online starting in March, and can enter any category applicable to their business by May 5, 2023. Companies may also participate in the competition for NFRA’s other annual promotions including June Dairy Month and Summer Favorites Ice Cream & Novelties. For complete awards competition details, visit www.NFRAweb.org.
