One organization will soon be awarded the first annual International Marketing Award for Promotions Inspiring Children to Eat Fresh Produce at next month's London Produce Show.

The “Kids Are Our Future” award, sponsored by the Embassy of the Netherlands in the U.K., will be presented on June 8 during the Keynote Breakfast Session at the Grosvenor House in Mayfair.

The deadline for entering your organization's 2017 promotions is May 26.

“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 ProduceBusiness-UK and the founder of the London Produce Show, now celebrating its fourth year.

The competition will highlight the one organization doing the best job at inspiring fresh produce consumption among 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/governmental 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 Dutch Embassy. 

“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 foster greater produce consumption, this competition is meant to commend the winning company in its promotional activities as well as to inspire others in the industry to increase their efforts to market fresh fruits and vegetable toward children. 

Criteria For Entry

The contest honors 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/governmental entities. 

The criteria for the award is based on originality, creativity, call-to-action, execution based on budget 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:  

• social media use to encourage families with children to buy produce and cook healthier food
• cause marketing campaigns
• point-of-sale signage
• kid-specific web pages
• produce supplier collaboration
• kid-oriented recipes
• coupons and promotions to encourage purchase
• contests
• 360-marketing strategy oriented toward produce for children
• educational and consumer outreach programming
• involvement of registered dietitians
• nutrition 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

If your organization has conducted a successful promotion over the past year, please click here and to send your information by submitting the linked form.

The judging for the contest is based on each entrant's own marketing goals and how the goals were achieved, considering the fact that some organizations have larger budgets than others.

www.freshfruitportal.com