Using social media, Meijer gives back for the Thanksgiving holiday
People love to take pictures of their food and post them on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, be it a meal they made or a dinner out at a restaurant. Running with this theme, Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer ran a clever holiday promotion called “Don’t Just Share the Photo, Share the Meal,” using the trend to give back to the community.
Meijer asked consumers from mid-November through Thanksgiving to post pictures of their meals, Thanksgiving get-togethers being the prime setting, and use the hashtag #MeijerSimplyGive. In return, for each photo posted on one of those social networks with the corresponding hashtag, Meijer donated a meal to its Simply Give program, up to $1 million.
Following the action on Twitter and other networks, it appeared the program definitely engaged with consumers, some posting images of Meijer private brand foods making it into their shopping carts and onto their dinner tables. Meijer ran a TV spot promoting the campaign and it featured food photos taken by Meijer team members of meals they made. Watch the ad below.
Meijer began the Simply Give program in 2008, working with food pantries to feed hungry families and has generated more than $50 million, equal to more than 500 million meals. A Meijer representative did not return a request for more results on the Thanksgiving campaign.
While the #MeijerSimplyGive program technically ended on Thanksgiving, Meijer is continuing a holiday meals version of its Simply Give campaign that will run through Jan. 4. Shoppers are encouraged to buy a $10 Simply Give donation card in stores that gets immediately converted into a Meijer Food-Only Gift Card and donated directly to a local food pantry tied to that neighborhood store. Between Dec. 3 and Dec. 13, Meijer will double match so after a shopper buys a $10 donation card, Meijer will add $20 on top of that for a $30 donation to the food pantry.