Bay Food’s Retail Team Manages Short-Order Installation in Publix Produce Section

In Spring 2024, Healthy Family Project hired Bay Food Brokerage’s retail services team to manage installation of its Publix Produce for Kids Campaign in over 1,300 Publix stores throughout the Southeast.

In this testimonial blog post, Amanda Keefer, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications for Healthy Family Project, shares her organization’s experience working with Bay Food on this special project.

About Healthy Family Project and the Publix Produce for Kids Campaign

The Healthy Family Project team is dedicated to creating a healthier generation through easy, fun and inspiring content. From recipes to videos to podcasts to blog posts, all content is crafted with families in mind and based on the needs of their followers.

Giving back is the foundation of Healthy Family Project. When a better-for-you brand partner works with Healthy Family Project, the organization donates a portion of their marketing fees to a cause, such as Feeding America and other charities.

In May and June, Healthy Family Project hosted its 22nd biannual Publix Produce for Kids campaign, during which 12 produce partners donated 600,000 meals to 35 Feeding America network food banks within Publix’s market area.

Colorful recipe-centric signs were positioned in 1,300-plus Publix stores near the participating produce vendors. The sign’s QR codes led shoppers to a free digital cookbook with recipe inspiration and nutrition tips. In addition, products featured in the campaign were highlighted in weekly ads throughout the campaign.

The Challenge: Finding a New Installation Company Four Weeks Before Campaign Launch

As Healthy Family Project was gearing up for its Spring 2024 Publix Produce for Kids campaign, it faced a major hurdle.

“Our long-standing installation partner underwent some changes and couldn’t join us for this campaign,” Amanda shared. “With the campaign launch just four weeks away, we had to act quickly. Publix’s large footprint across so many stores meant we needed a reliable solution, fast. Thanks to our team’s quick thinking and collaboration, we were able to pivot seamlessly, ensuring a smooth launch and uninterrupted support for our partners and customers.”

Amanda’s team talked to two other installation companies that said it would be impossible to manage the project on such a tight timeline. Then, a colleague recommended she contact Erin McCulloch-Crume, Bay Food Brokerage’s Director of Perishable Sales and Business Development.

“I cold-called Erin, told her the situation and asked if their team could take it on,” Amanda said. “That same day, she had gotten her team together, called me back with their Executive Vice President, Chris Chatterton, we had a conversation, and they said, ‘We can do this.’”

The Solution: Bay Food Retail Team Hits the Ground Running

According to Amanda, from the day she spoke with Chris and Erin, the Bay Food team hit the ground running for Healthy Family Project’s Spring 2024 campaign.

“We were incredibly impressed by the efficiency, quality and accountability of Bay Food’s team,” Amanda said. “Their approach and execution set a new benchmark for us, and their dedication made a noticeable difference in our campaign’s success.”

Bay Food’s team of full-time, salaried retail representatives throughout the Southeast completed the point-of-sale installation in Publix’s produce sections. This included placing table signs, circle danglers, shelf cards, shelf flags and clings. They checked the signage weekly during the campaign to ensure compliance.

The Bay Food team also captured proof of installation with photos and communicated with store produce managers to ensure proper execution of the campaign.

The Results: Campaign Success and Strengthened Vendor Relationships

“Bay Food was sending us regular reports and photos, and we were thrilled to be able to show the participating vendors the proof and results,” Amanda said. “It goes a long way to be able to show our partners accountability. We’ve had a positive response from vendors and some already asking us for details for spring 2025, and I think Bay Food played a part in that.”

Amanda also noted a couple of wrinkles the Bay Food team helped Healthy Family Project iron out during the campaign.

For example, the retail reps took the time to check the QR codes on the signage during installation, ensuring the codes directed shoppers to the correct digital location. In addition, as a vendor reported they weren’t seeing their product in stores, the Bay Food team provided an extra level of interaction with that vendor to check the stores.

“Erin was great in brainstorming potentially more efficient ways to ship our POS to the reps, allowing for a cost savings in the installation process.” Amanda said. “She really went above and beyond in thinking of us as a true partner and not just a business deal.”

The Value-Add: Common Mission of Community Support

Amanda also noted that Healthy Family Project and Bay Food Brokerage share a common philosophy when it comes to community impact.

“At Healthy Family Project, our number-one pillar is as a cause marketing organization,” Amanda said. “We had a lot of synergy with Bay Food in that way, as they do a lot of work with Feeding Tampa Bay. That was an attractive aspect of working together on this. I’ve found that a business relationship goes much deeper when you share a common mission and are rooted in the same philosophies of making an impact.”

Bay Food Brokerage also donated $10,000 to Feeding America in honor of the campaign.

Bay Food Brokerage offers corporate HQ sales services, as well as retail-only services, including special projects like installation for this campaign. Contact us today to learn more.