IGA PARTNERS WITH BUSCH GARDENS TO BRING IGA HOMETOWN KIDSFEST MAREKTING EVENT TO IGA RETAILERS

New Consumer and Retailer Prizes added for 2007

CHICAGO, IL - IGA today announced it has partnered with Busch Gardens to bring the eighth annual kid-focused summer marketing event to IGA retailers.  The event, IGA Hometown KidsFest, will take place July 29-Aug. 11, in participating IGA stores across the United States.

IGA Hometown KidsFest is the third marketing event in the 2007 IGA Family, Friends & Food marketing program, which is being sponsored by the following IGA Red Oval manufacturing partners: Campbell Soup Company, The Coca-Cola Company, Coca-Cola Hydration Business Unit, ConAgra Foods, Inc., Georgia-Pacific Corporation, The Hershey Company, Kraft Foods, Nabisco, Nestlé USA, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, The J.M. Smucker Company, and Unilever.

During the two-week IGA Hometown KidsFest timeframe, IGA stores will offer valuable savings on brand-name consumer sponsor products, as well as the opportunity for kids to participate in an in-store Treasure Hunt designed to familiarize kids and their parents with sponsor products and to teach kids how to be smart consumers by asking them to read product labels. New for 2007, each child who completes the IGA-provided Treasure Hunt game card will be entered to win one of two grand prize packages that include a trip for four to the winner's choice of Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa, Fla., or Busch Gardens Europe in Williamsburg, Va.  Each trip will include four round-trip coach airfares on Southwest Airlines, hotel accommodations for three days/ two nights, park admission for two days, and four meal vouchers to be used during the guests’ visit to Busch Gardens.

IGA Marketing Specialist Princess Reyes stressed that the partnership with Busch Gardens was designed to raise awareness for the Treasure Hunt game and its focus on smart shopping. “By incorporating a high-profile consumer prize, we hope to increase Treasure Hunt participation and reach more kids about the importance of reading labels when shopping,” Reyes said.

“Busch Gardens is happy to be working with IGA on this year's Hometown KidsFest,” Jayme Filiberto, Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks national promotions manager said.  “We encourage kids to explore their local grocery store for a chance to ‘Explore the Worlds of Busch Gardens.’”

Though the event is based around the Hometown KidsFest Treasure Hunt game, Reyes stressed that the goal when developing each of the events in 2007 is to provide retailers with the resources they need to tailor events to their own communities. For example, during the two-week IGA Hometown KidsFest timeframe IGA retailers are encouraged to build creative sponsor product displays, work with local animal shelters to host pet adoption events, and hold outdoor kid-themed carnivals.
 
“Hometown KidsFest is a perfect example of how our IGA retailers can customize our marketing events to meet the needs of their communities,” Reyes said. “In many cases, our retailers are using this event as a means of developing the most extensive kid-related activities their communities will see all summer.” 

IGA has developed a number of programs to reward retailers for their extra efforts in marketing events. Working in conjunction with IGA Licensed Distribution Center (LDC) Partners, IGA has created an Event Marketing Champions program that allows each LDC to reward retailer/retailers with cash and recognition for best practices in each of IGA’s marketing events. Best practices categories include, among others, ad design/layout, contest conception/execution, and generating public relations for events.

IGA has also teamed with sponsors to provide KidsFest-specific rewards. For example, IGA has asked participating retailers to send in pictures of their KidsFest-themed sponsor product displays for a chance to win four park tickets to Busch Gardens in Florida. Additionally, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company will provide each IGA LDC with a one year supply of Purina Pet food (up to $200 value) to be awarded to the IGA retailers with the most pet adoptions in one day.

IGA is the world’s largest voluntary supermarket network with aggregate worldwide retail sales of more than $21 billion per year. The Alliance includes more than 4,000 Hometown Proud Supermarkets worldwide, supported by 36 distribution companies and more than 55 major manufacturers, vendors and suppliers encompassing everything from grocery to equipment items. IGA has operations in 44 of the United States and more than 40 countries, commonwealths and territories on all six inhabited continents.

For Information Contact
Ashley M. Page 773-772-5724