ARLINGTON, VA -- To celebrate National Rice Month (NRM) Kroger used its own employee pool to spread the word about U.S.-grown rice. The supermarket chain, which has more than 2,500 stores in 34 states, encouraged staff to participate in a rice recipe contest. Employees shared pictures of their plates with the hashtag #ricecreations through social media.
“The NRM recipe contest was a fun, creative way to educate employees at stores throughout the country about the versatility and health benefits of rice,” said Katie Maher, USA Rice director of domestic promotion. “Kroger has 80,000 employees and we reached them in a way that keeps rice top of mind when making recommendations to customers and of course, they are shoppers too.”
Throughout NRM, Kroger’s corporate dietitian used social media to post cooking tips, USA Rice recipes, and nutrition facts about rice while promoting the contest through the company’s employee portal. One post read, “When you eat US rice, you’re eating a sustainable grain! US rice farmers protect & preserve natural resources. Remember to post your #ricecreations photo for a chance to win $100 and a rice cooker.”
More than 100 entries were received and the contest was so successful that the company extended the promotion for an additional two weeks. Winners for the five best entries were awarded prizes of gift cards and rice cookers.
“Encouraging families to cook with U.S.-grown rice is beneficial in every way, and our associates really enjoyed this messaging,” said a Kroger corporate dietitian. “We saw creative dishes and the exchange of ideas through our internal social media platform. All in all, this promotion was a success for everyone involved.”