NGA Creative Choice Awards Categories

Marketing Categories

• Digital Connections

  It’s proven that customers need connections to their communities and many of those connections now almost exclusively come in virtual formats. Grocers leverage digital communications tools to engage their communities, and are now starting to launch their own retail media networks featuring unique content that ties back to products and services available in-store. Have you utilized platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest or Instagram? Have you established your own network? Show us how you’ve defined success with your digital media initiatives, whether it be event attendees, engagements, impressions, an increase in followers, sales or other key performance indicators. Share with us how you’re telling your story and reaching your customers in new and creative ways in the digital space. Submissions may also include email campaigns, website enhancements, blogs, digital ads, texting initiatives and other digital media.

• Traditional Media: TV, Radio and Print

  Did your company utilize television, radio or print ads to communicate with your customers this year? Submit your original TV, radio (cannot be more than 60 seconds in length), print or billboard ads, and tell us how and why this exposure yielded positive results for your business. All entries in this category must have been broadcast or published. (Videos that were created for social media platforms, such as YouTube, should be submitted for the omnichannel category.)

• Innovations in Integrated Marketing

  Are you leveraging media from both of the above categories into a seamless, unified campaign? Are you using the latest technologies like AI to enhance your messaging? What are you doing that you’ve never done before to engage your customers by harnessing the power of multiple platforms? Submit your entry in this category.

• Community Engagement

  Independent grocers are the cornerstones of their communities and are constantly finding new ways to give back in the areas they serve. These might involve special occasions related to a specific event, time of year, holiday or national day/week/month celebrating a particular product. Entries in this category should demonstrate the ways the store(s) served a need within their community and engaged their shoppers to participate; or how you used seasonal or day/month holidays to promote store engagement and products (e.g. National Hot Dog Day, Frozen Food Month, etc. or the traditional holidays: Easter, Fourth of July, Christmas, etc.). Submissions should be focused on demonstrations, outreach, sponsorship and contributions, buy-one-give-one promotions and more. Both in-store and parking lot/off-site event entries are welcome.

• Grand Opening or Remodel

  Have you held a grand opening or remodel? Enter this category to boast about this incredible feat. Any form of media is accepted, as long as marketing submissions support a store opening or remodel announcement.

• NEW: Multicultural Marketing

  Communities across the country are growing more diverse, requiring grocers to reflect the unique populations they serve. How are you engaging consumers of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds to demonstrate how you as a retailer can serve their specific needs? Tell us about your initiatives designed to earn the business and loyalty of diverse demographics and celebrate the diversity of the neighborhoods where you do business.

• NEW: Shopper Experience

  E-commerce growth surged during the pandemic, but even with the expansion of online shopping, consumers still generally favor shopping in person. Working in concert, in-store and e-commerce offer consumers the ability to shop based on their specific need at a given time. How are you delivering a satisfying shopping experience no matter how folks choose to access your store? Tell us about your overall whole-store initiatives to enhance the experiential aspects of the store visit while providing e-commerce solutions and complement rather than replace the traditional shopping trip. Show us why people love coming to your store! Campaign can include elements of marketing and/or merchandising.

• NEW: Top Pick for Talent

  It’s crucial for the independent grocery industry to nurture a talented workforce in order to ensure its long-term viability and success. But careers in grocery are often overlooked by younger emerging leaders. How are you positioning yourself as an attractive career option to attract talent to the grocery industry? Tell us about your organized efforts to position grocery as a vocation that’s not just about selling, but about serving the community?

Merchandising Categories

• Local, Specialty or Emerging Products

  What new and exciting products are you merchandising in your store? Tell us how you’re engaging shoppers through creative merchandising set-ups, demonstrations, recipes, partnerships and more to introduce local, specialty or emerging products to your customers. Did you work with new suppliers or collaborate with other vendors to satisfy emerging demands from your customers?

• Fresh Departments

  Tell us about innovative merchandising happening in your fresh departments, especially when faced with hurdles brought on by shifting dynamics. These submissions should highlight promotions of a product or product line in produce, meat, dairy, deli, bakery or floral. Be sure to provide visuals and any notable sales outcomes.

  NEW THIS YEAR: Entries will be judged in these specific subcategories:

  • Meat/Seafood
  • Bakery/Deli/Prepared Foods/Foodservice
  • Dairy
  • Produce/Floral

• Center Store

  Just about everything in the grocery store has changed over the past few years, including what happened in the center aisles. This category takes a closer look at excellence in merchandising in center store, frozen, general merchandise, beauty or healthy living products. Submissions should feature concepts and/or display visuals, including those that were virtual, that created excitement in any of these departments. Entries should specifically explain how merchandising efforts responded to the shifting consumer trends (includes all edible and non-edible consumer packaged goods).

  NEW THIS YEAR: Entries will be judged in these specific subcategories:

  • Center Store/Frozen
  • GM/HBC

• NEW: Private Label / Store Brands

  Faced with the need to stretch their grocery dollars, consumers are turning toward store brand products in greater numbers. But savvy grocers will leverage this as an opportunity to offer exclusive items that compete with the big brands on more than just price. Show us how you’re leveraging your banner’s unique branded products through marketing and/or merchandising to drive sales and tell us about the development of your store brand portfolios.

Special Recognition

• Kellanova’s Excellence in ESG Award

  The heart of a good business strategy focuses on wellbeing, people, community, sustainability and beyond. Over the past few years retailers have made great strides in integrating and maintaining these elements that are categorized under the Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) approach. Is this methodology one that you’ve been incorporating? How have you enhanced your relationships with employees, suppliers, customers and communities? Integrated diversity, equity and inclusion efforts into your store? In what ways have you implemented changes to safeguard the environment?

• Unilever’s People Positive Award

  It goes without saying that retailers are on the front lines of their communities and in this prominent role, it’s essential to place an emphasis on diversity and inclusivity. Cultivating not only a diverse workforce but society takes work, and we know you’ve been diligently implementing new efforts to reflect these values. Tell us what steps you’ve taken to break down barriers and create a more inclusive environment. How have you celebrated your staff while inviting new perspectives? How have you elevated and developed underrepresented individuals? Tell us what diversity and inclusion efforts you have integrated.