HARRISBURG, Pa. — 2023 marks the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA)’s 40th annual celebration of March Frozen Food Month! Murray Lender, founder of Lender’s Bagels, was instrumental in developing the first promotion in 1984 as an initiative to increase frozen food sales. The promotion is now nationally recognized and continues to promote the benefits and importance of engaging shoppers and encouraging the purchase of frozen foods.
NFRA has sponsored March Frozen Food Month since its inception and continues to promote the frozen food aisles to consumers by sharing resources with its members throughout the month, including recipes, point-of-sale materials, social content, helpful tips and more. NFRA also administers the Golden Penguin Awards Competition, which honors the best marketing and merchandising in the industry during promotional periods. This national competition 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. With 2023 marking the 40th year celebration of March Frozen Food Month, this is the perfect time to join the excitement and share how your organization promotes frozen foods to consumers.
The awards program features categories that reflect today’s 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. A segment of the highest scoring winners will be named Top Marketers, which is unveiled during the Awards Luncheon at the NFRA Convention.
This awards competition is an exciting opportunity for companies of any size to be awarded 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 can submit their supporting documentation online starting in March and can enter any category applicable to their business by May 5, 2023. Companies can 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, please visit www.NFRAweb.org.
About National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA)
NFRA (www.NFRAweb.org) is a non-profit trade association representing all segments of the frozen and refrigerated foods industry. NFRA sponsors national promotions March Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month, and Summer Favorites Ice Cream & Novelties; and provides consumer information such as food safety guidelines, meal preparation tips, recipes, and sweepstakes opportunities through its www.EasyHomeMeals.com consumer website and social media properties.
