The holidays are often a critical time for organizations to grow consumption and/or sales of their products, as was the case for IGA's new Red Oval Partner the National Pork Board (NPB). By sponsoring a holiday shopper sweepstakes and leveraging IGA's digital ad, NPB successfully put pork at the center of the plate across thousands of stores and grew pork demand.
To capitalize on this high-volume period, NPB’s market growth team leaned in with retailers across the country, supporting promotions that helped families plan their holiday menus with fresh and processed pork cuts.
“This time of the year is about special occasions, but NPB’s goal is getting more people to eat more pork more often,” said José de Jesús, NPB, assistant vice president of consumer marketing.
NPB worked with IGA's Red Oval team to activate three shopper-facing promotions in three months.
Beginning with Family Meals Made Easy, a two-week feature focused on the pork loin roast, NPB ran a campaign to drive shoppers to a recipe for balsamic rosemary pork loin with roasted potatoes. The campaign reached shoppers through IGA's digital circulars and the IGA Recipe Club eNewsletter.
Next, NPB joined other brands in sponsoring December's Ugly Sweater Shopper Sweepstakes. They leveraged IGA's digital ad, shopper-facing social media, and interactive Ugly Sweater Sweepstakes to highlight ham during the holidays.
Finally, NPB used a two-week placement in IGA's digital ad to feature the pork power bowl, which boasts 36 grams of protein and serves as a great kick-off for shoppers looking to increase their protein consumption in the New Year.
Looking ahead, NPB has a full calendar year of pork promotion planned as well as a series of pork education opportunities for independent retailers.
These strategic retail activations represent more than just seasonal promotions; they are a vital component of a long-term roadmap to increase pork demand. By leveraging the national scale of the IGA network, NPB can put more pork on more plates, more often.
As NPB expands existing relationships and cultivates new ones, the 2026 consumer strategy serves as the guide for partner alignment. This collaborative approach ensures the continued stewardship of checkoff dollars to drive growth in pork demand.