As part of SpartanNash’s ongoing mission to deliver the ingredients for a better life, the company is constantly looking for new ways to engage with and inspire new and longtime shoppers. This year, SpartanNash worked toward that goal by developing several quality influencer partnerships, not only yielding excellent impressions and spotlighting delicious recipes starring private label products, but also setting the stage for future engagements by developing mutually beneficial relationships with influencer partners.
SpartanNash's inaugural influencer program kicked off in April 2023 with a dynamic team composed of six influencers who collectively executed 34 campaigns throughout the year. Each influencer partner had a distinct store focus and leveraged their knowledge of the surrounding community to develop impactful content. In West Michigan, Liz Della Croce focused on D&W Fresh Market and Forest Hills Foods, and Rachel Gurk focused on Michigan Family Fare stores. Lexie Undem, based in Bismarck, N.D, spotlighted Family Fare stores, while Sheyenne Johnson, also in N.D., directed attention to Family Fare stores in Fargo. In Omaha, Neb., Katelynn Nekola and Chelsie Morales both shined a spotlight on SpartanNash’s Family Fare brand. The impact of the collaborations was impressive, with 34 completed campaigns, generating more than 380,000 impressions, 220,000 views, and 38,000 engagements across Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, personal blog pages and more. These engagements highlight the widespread impact this content had on shoppers, showing them that SpartanNash stores have everything they need to make delicious, creative recipes everyone in their family will love.
To establish the productive and successful influencer relationships it has today, SpartanNash strategically built the foundation of these partnerships before any content was posted. The team started by sifting through numerous content creators to identify those who resonated with SpartanNash’s brand voice, aligned with the team’s objectives and had a strong presence in the targeted communities. The team prioritized creators who were already sharing high-quality lifestyle, family and meal content, recognizing authenticity as paramount for success. A crucial filter in the team’s selection process was audience location, relative to the stores’ locations and deep community impact as neighborhood grocers. Ensuring engagement translated into foot traffic to nearby Family Fare or D&W Fresh Market locations was an integral part of the selection strategy. Once the team vetted potential influencers and their audiences, they scheduled meetings with the chosen partners to align strategic goals and explore the influencer's brand kit, carefully evaluating their content creation packages. These meetings were incredibly important because the team was able to clearly communicate SpartanNash’s goals while also allowing the influencer partners to develop content that felt organic and genuine to their audiences. After the initial meeting, the SpartanNash team collaborated with partners on monthly campaigns, granting the influencers creative freedom while providing enough direction to spotlight SpartanNash’s corporate strategies and upcoming deals. This meticulous approach ensured influencer partnerships were authentic and strategically aligned, building and growing a trusting relationship with the team of creators.
To establish the productive and successful influencer relationships it has today, SpartanNash strategically built the foundation of these partnerships before any content was posted. The team started by sifting through numerous content creators to identify those who resonated with SpartanNash’s brand voice, aligned with the team’s objectives and had a strong presence in the targeted communities. The team prioritized creators who were already sharing high-quality lifestyle, family and meal content, recognizing authenticity as paramount for success. A crucial filter in the team’s selection process was audience location, relative to the stores’ locations and deep community impact as neighborhood grocers. Ensuring engagement translated into foot traffic to nearby Family Fare or D&W Fresh Market locations was an integral part of the selection strategy. Once the team vetted potential influencers and their audiences, they scheduled meetings with the chosen partners to align strategic goals and explore the influencer's brand kit, carefully evaluating their content creation packages. These meetings were incredibly important because the team was able to clearly communicate SpartanNash’s goals while also allowing the influencer partners to develop content that felt organic and genuine to their audiences. After the initial meeting, the SpartanNash team collaborated with partners on monthly campaigns, granting the influencers creative freedom while providing enough direction to spotlight SpartanNash’s corporate strategies and upcoming deals. This meticulous approach ensured influencer partnerships were authentic and strategically aligned, building and growing a trusting relationship with the team of creators.
