Help Your Customers Grill Up Something Unexpected

January 27, 2016
Trends

Long summer days by the pool and warm summer evenings at the grill seem far off during these short chilly days of winter, but before we know it, your customers will be filling up their carts with delicious provisions for their barbeques.  As a supermarket RD, you are already planning about how to increase those basket rings and help shoppers grill up some delicious dishes. Reinforce your value by giving them some new, exciting and unexpected options to expand their grilling repertoire. 

Think Beyond Typical Fare:  Think Turkey

As you plan your outreach and education programs for the coming months look beyond the standard burgers and franks and explore turkey as an alternative protein. In fact, June is National Turkey Lovers' Month^®a perfect and timely platform to talk turkey. We’re not just talking about the wildly popular turkey burgers because turkey wings, breasts, kabobs, cutlets, and tenderloins are all cuts that are tasty on the grill. And it’s easier than you think. As the ultimate grilling option, turkey works well with a variety of flavors, rubs, spices and marinades. The naturally mild taste of turkey combines readily with different seasonings, making it a good choice in spicy ethnic dishes, and as a substitute for higher-fat meats in favorite recipes.  

Let’s Get This Party Started

Help your customers get started by providing them with turkey inspiration. Turkey is the perfect complement to all the healthy options that you promote in your stores, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low fat dairy products. Here are just a few ways that you can get them excited to sizzle some turkey on the grill:

1. Show them with an in-store display of select cuts of turkey set along with spices, rubs, and marinades, plus seasonal fruits and vegetables delicious when grilled together.
2. Demonstrate the simplicity of grilling with turkey with a cooking demonstration with an unexpected cut of turkey complimented with bold flavors and fresh produce.
3. Provide recipes with shopping lists featuring turkey on the grill through your blog or on recipe cards in the store.
4. Cross promote your favorite cuts of turkey with items from your cooking tools section, such as various grilling accessories including skewers, grill baskets, aprons, and grilling utensils that can all be used to highlight turkey with seasonal fruits and vegetables.
5. Make it special with in-store events focused on outdoor parties and activities that include food (and drink) recipes, games, table setting ideas, and party play lists.
6. Shout it out to the media with these story ideas:
• Fire up the grill with something unexpected (e.g. turkey, fruits, pizza)
• Pairing lean protein with the season’s bounty of fresh produce at your BBQ this Summer
• Grilling to meet the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
• Taking the heat off healthy eating this Summer (solution: grill up something healthy)
• Bring global flavors to the grill with a healthy twist
• Mom grillmasters show how it’s done

For tips on successful grilling, checkout our one-pager for you to share with your shoppers.

Visit ServeTurkey.org for nutrition facts, recipes, and other resources to discover more unexpected enjoyment when you serve up something unexpected with Today’s Turkey. ^SM