ABC named Marketer of the Year

The team behind the A better choice! (ABC) national retail program have been rewarded for their hard work, winning the Seeka-sponsored 2021 PMA-Produce Plus Marketer of the Year Award (MOYA) for their Shop & Win campaign. A joint initiative of Fresh Markets Australia (FMA) and the Central Markets Association of Australia (CMAA), ABC is designed to encourage consumers to shop for fresh produce at the over 550 independent fruit and vegetable retailers involved in the program nationwide. MOYA judges were impressed by the way the campaign harnessed a wide range of marketing tools – from point-of-sale activations through to digital advertising – to drive awareness of the competition and encourage participation. During the first six weeks of the three-month campaign, Shop & Win’s activations reached 2.7 million people, with over 6 million impressions across radio, social channels and YouTube. Over 265 stores were nominated as part of the competition during this time period, with 92,914 entries received from across Australia. “Capturing such a large audience over a relatively short time was very impressive, and from all reports interest in the competition has continued to grow since MOYA nominations closed,” Matthew Jones, Editor of Produce Plus magazine, said. “The ability to unlock added value for a cluster of independently operated grocery stores also demonstrated a high degree of marketing innovation in the eyes of the judges.” FMA’s National Program Manager, James Patrick, was unable to travel to Brisbane to accept the award at the Hort Connections 2021 Gala Dinner on Wednesday, 9 June, due to the Victorian lockdown, but was able to take part in the MOYA Showcase event via video link. “It’s an honour in itself to be a part of a program that represents independent fruit and veg shops around the country. This award is a great honour for the team and all those involved around the country, supporting Australia’s local fruit and veg shops,” Mr Patrick said. According to CMAA Chair, Mark Maskiell, all involved were very proud that ABC had received recognition for its outstanding efforts promoting the independent fruit and vegetable retail sector. “This program was established to promote the independent retailers, greengrocers and fruiterers of Australia, who are key buyers at the Central Markets. Independent retailers are such a large and important part of the history of this great industry, and when they prosper, it benefits the whole Central Market supply chain,” Mr Maskiell said. Chair of FMA, Shane Schnitzler, said “This award recognises the efforts of this initiative with such significant importance for the independent retailers nationwide. Many of which are owned and run by families who are a large part of the heart and soul of this industry and have been for generations. This award recognises the important role the A better choice! program plays within our industry, and the support behind the initiative keeps it growing for years to come.” To read more about the campaign and its results see page 32 and to find out about Queensland’s Shop & Win winners, see pages 31 and 33.

Winners are grinners: The A better choice! national team were unable to accept the Marketer of the Year Award due to Victorian lockdowns, but the state-based teams that helped roll-out the program were able to bask in the glory of the win. Pictured are Michelle Pascoe (Market West), Inci Humberston (Market West), Luke Leeson (Brisbane Markets Limited), FMA General Manager Gail Woods, Kiren Thandi (Brismark), Frederica McCauley (Freshmark), Penny Reidy (South Australian Produce Market), and Michaela Kantarias (South Australian Produce Market).

To see the team’s MOYA Showcase entry, scan or click the QR Code.