Cateys 2012: Best Group Marketing Campaign – AVF Marketing (for the Local Authority Caterers Association)
Sponsored by Kraft Foods
The Local Authority Caterers Association's National School Meals Week, managed and run by AVF Marketing, is the country's largest healthy eating promotion for school catering.
The annual campaign aims to help local authorities increase meal numbers and to engage children in the issues surrounding their daily food intake.
In 2011, its organisers set clear goals, based on increasing the numbers of schools, local authorities and food service contractors that engaged with the campaign, and on the amount of social media activity sparked by it. Themes were established for all five days of the week, and activity sheets hosted on the website, www.iloveschoolmeals.co.uk, to stimulate creative engagement at participating schools.
For instance, the Get Travelling Day challenged teachers and pupils to focus on good from around the world, while the Get 5-a-day Day encouraged children to understand the importance of fruit and vegetables to their diets. On a modest budget, the campaign managed to exceed all stated objectives - most crucially, perhaps, it increased the number of participating schools from 18,000 to 20,000.
WHAT THE JUDGES SAID
"For this idea to have been working successfully for the past 20 years is amazing and then to become even more successful in the past 12 months is just incredible. It's not a sexy sector but the idea is vibrant, effective and engaging. They have embraced new media and really made it work - beyond anyone's expectations."
Ann Elliott, Elliott Marketing & PR
"The campaign demonstrated superb results for a very reasonable budget. The campaign was highly creative and engaged multiple communication channels effectively, including good use of digital channels. A very worthy winner."
Paul West, Ignite Hospitality
"For 20,000 schools to increase uptake by 6.7% during National School Meals Week represents millions of pounds of additional income. Amazing!"
Richard Ware, Cambridgeshire Catering and Cleaning Services
"The winning campaign was clearly executed by those passionate about improving school/pupil participation. It was totally engaging, informative and fun."
Caroline Walford, AA Hotel Services
"The campaign developed really interesting daily themes to drive engagement with its audience, involving partners and other stakeholders in a fun and informative way."
Gerard Tempest, Whitbread Hotels & Restaurants
Shortlisted
â- Best Western Hotels
â- Salthouse Harbour Hotel
The Judges
Sara Carter, head of marketing, Caffè Nero
Ann Elliott, managing director, Elliott Marketing and PR
Peter Hancock, chief executive, Pride of Britain Hotels
Samantha Radcliffe, director of sales and marketing, the Chester Grosvenor
Renita Shwili, head of development,the Chartered Institute of Marketing
Gerard Tempest, sales and marketing director, Whitbread Hotels & Restaurants
Caroline Walford, customer support manager, AA Hotel Services
Richard Ware, head of services, Cambridgeshire Catering and Cleaning Services
Paul West, managing director, Ignite Hospitality Consultants
