Frozen Food Pushes “Frozen. How Fresh Stays Fresh” Campaign

The frozen food industry is ready to heat up its marketing efforts.

Last week, the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) launched its three-year, $90 million initiative to generate renewed interest in the ice-cold section of the grocery store. The “Frozen: How Food Stays Fresh” campaign, announced last month, aims to build respect for food items often seen as overly processed and not nearly as healthy as their room-temperature cousins.

“Freezing is just a natural pause button,” AFFI’s Corey Henry told Food Production Daily  (opens in a new tab). “By conveying to consumers [that] freezing is … extending the life of fresh food, it enhances their understanding—a frozen [lasagna] is no different than what’s in the pan of Mom’s lasagna, with fresh, tasty ingredients.”

The marketing push, which includes commercials (such as the one above) and a website  (opens in a new tab), comes at a time when frozen foods are facing a modest decline in sales. Statistics from Euromonitor International reported by the Associated Press in April  (opens in a new tab) show frozen food sales dropped 3 percent between 2009 and 2013. While frozen food remains an $8.92 billion industry, the group projects an additional 2 percent drop in 2014.

A number of companies  (opens in a new tab) in the space have signed on to help with the campaign, including H.J. Heinz, General Mills, Nestlé, Kellogg’s, ConAgra, and Schwan’s Consumer Brands, Inc. The plan, much like the milk industry’s recently launched “Milk Life” campaign, is to help boost awareness of the benefits of the food segment.

“This is a long-term strategy. The primary purpose is to enter into a dialogue with consumers,” AFFI President Kraig Naasz told the Associated Press  (opens in a new tab).

A clip from AFFI’s new ad campaign. (Vimeo screenshot)