Grupo Bimbo, W.K. Kellogg and PepsiCo: How bakery and snack giants are driving innovation through awards and accelerators
In a competitive landscape where innovation is paramount, bakery and snack manufacturers are not just satisfying cravings but also redefining industry standards through strategic awards, impactful campaigns and accelerator programs. By spotlighting excellence and fostering new talent, these initiatives are reshaping the market.
From spotlighting female soccer talents to investing in community health and supporting collegiate sports heroes, these are some of the leading brands that are making a mark with their forward-thinking approaches and commitment to excellence.
Grupo Bimbo’s campaign spotlights female soccer talents
The Bimbo Dream reflects Bimbo’s commitment in nurturing female talent through sports.
Running in August and September, the world's largest bakery manufacturer – and current Global Partner of FC Barcelona and Main Partner of FC Barcelona Women – has enabled 55 girls from 22 countries to train with Aitana Bonmatí, star of the Spanish national soccer team and FC Barcelona Women.
The young athletes – between the ages of 10 and 13 – hail from programs like Barça Academy and regional soccer associations supported by Grupo Bimbo. They not only have the opportunity to hone their skills on the field but also take part in social activities and a nutrition workshop led by FC Barcelona’s experts. Here, they learn about maintaining a healthy diet, culminating in the creation of their own Champions Sandwich recipes.
The initiative is part of a broader partnership between Grupo Bimbo and FC Barcelona, announced in 2022. The collaboration emphasizes promoting female talent and equality in sports, with Bonmatí playing a pivotal role as a Bimbo ambassador. Her involvement inspires girls to break barriers and chase their dreams in soccer. It also builds on the success of the 2023 project, which saw the Mexican bakery giant support the dream of three talented Argentinean girls who wanted to become soccer players.
W.K. Kellogg Foundation announces winners of Community Engagement Award
Four US universities have been named recipients of the 2024 W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Engagement Scholarship Award, given by the Engagement Scholarship Consortium.
East Carolina University (ECU), the University of Minnesota (U of M), Oregon State University and West Virginia University each receive $5k to further their impactful work. The now compete for the C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award, to be announced in November by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). The winner will receive a $20,000 prize.
The award recognizes programs that demonstrate how colleges and universities have redesigned their learning, discovery and engagement missions to deepen their partnerships and achieve broader impacts in their communities.
The finalists
ECU was chosen for its efforts to address high suicide rates and unmet mental health needs stemming from economic stressors, geographical isolation, family dynamics and other health challenges facing rural North Carolina residents. Its partnership with Contentnea Health has provided over 126,000 integrated behavioral health care encounters since 2006. This effort, which includes services in primary care, dental clinics and various community settings, serves around 7,000 individuals annually, addressing critical mental health needs exacerbated by economic and geographical isolation.
U of M has been recognized for the work of its Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA), which collaborates with local community and government agencies to advance smart and equitable decision making, investments and policies. CURA’s work has produced an extensive network of external partners, with the center supporting 145 projects in 50 neighborhoods and cities involving 180 students, 32 university departments and programs, and 135 community and government organizations last year alone.
Oregon State University launched the Oregon Coastal Futures (OCF) project to increase the adaptive capacity of underserved and rural communities along the state’s seven coastal counties. OCF uses a collaborative and cross-disciplinary approach to consider social, economic and ecological costs of communities affected by coastal hazards stemming from climate change and tsunamis.
Seeking to address challenges of depopulation, lack of access to services, rising unemployment and abandonment of properties in rural areas, West Virginia University (WVU) and West Virginia Community Development Hub launched the Fulcrum Project. Projects include downtown revitalization, beautification, building redevelopment, trail development and farmers markets. To date, the Fulcrum project has engaged more than 25 communities around 30 projects and facilitated more than $3 million in community investment.
“Congratulations to the regional winners of the Kellogg Community Engagement Scholarship Awards and exemplary projects,” said APLU president Mark Becker.
“Community engagement is a critical part of public universities’ mission and we’re pleased to highlight the work of institutions that are instrumental to solving the most pressing challenges facing their communities through partnerships with other stakeholders.”
PorkRinds.com looking for football heroes
The ‘hub’ for pork rind lovers – and home to brands like Southern Recipe pork rinds – has announced its second annual collegiate sports celebration, dubbed the ‘Crunch Time Hero of the Week’ award, a sponsorship program designed to highlight outstanding football players during the regular college football season.
Until November 30, a collegiate player who has a phenomenal play or a significant tackle during the regular season will be eligible for the award. Each week, one football player will be chosen, based on his previous weeks’ plays and tackles. At the end of the season, each of the 13 weekly winners will be eligible for the award, which will be determined by a fan vote on PorkRinds.com. The package includes notoriety and promotion as the pork rind ‘hero’, as well as a celebratory trophy and a generous supply of pork rinds to share with friends and family. The Crunch Time Hero of the Year will be invited to attend bigger professional football media events as the collegiate season closes and the NFL season begins culminating in biggest game of 2025 in New Orleans.
“Just like our crunch time players make game-winning plays on the field, pork rinds are the best crunch time decision in the snack aisle,” said VP of Sales and Marketing Mark Singleton.
“The annual ‘Crunch Time Hero of the Week’ program is our celebration of the unsung heroes on the football field who get the job done.”
A division of Rudolph Foods, PorkRinds.com offers a variety of pork rind brands that are naturally high in protein, low in carbohydrates and gluten free.
Acti-Snack opens athlete sponsorship for 2024-2025
Five athletes across Ireland will be chosen to become an Acti-Snack Allstar and receive a sponsorship package to pursue their athletic passions. The sponsorship is open to people from all athletic disciplines, including track & field, swimming, cycling, gymnastics, rowing and ball sports. Past recipients have included Olympian swimmer Conor Ferguson, triathlete and Ironwoman Eimear Mullan, modern pentathlete Suzie Cave and mountaineer Paul Swail.
“We are passionate about fuelling people well to perform well with our granola and snacks,” said Acti-Snack marketing director Bronagh Clarke.
“We are inspired by the dedication of athletes but understand the cost of training can often be a barrier to progress in their disciplines. We want to give local athletes the opportunity to pursue their dreams and goals further through sponsorship funding.”
Entries close on September 12. Winners will each receive £1,000 in cash and £250 worth of sports kit, snacks and granola.
PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos champions Latina entrepreneurs
PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos (Together We Grow) has launched year three of its campaign that recognizes the economic, cultural and community contributions of Jefa-Owned businesses – particularly restaurants, bodegas and carnicerías.
Central to this year’s campaign is a new grant and mentorship program designed to address the unique challenges faced by women entrepreneurs.
Twenty women entrepreneurs in the F&B category will receive $200,000 in grants to grow and scale their business. They will also get access to the Business Health Accelerator and Boost Camp, a digital space offering business coaching workshops, mentorship and networking opportunities. Additionally, they will receive access to the PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos Hispanic Digital & Delivery Program, a five-week series that includes personalized consultations on delivery logistics, technology, marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) - a package valued at about $12,000 per participant.
“We launched Jefa-Owned in 2022 to shine a spotlight on Latina-owned small businesses while helping to address the unique challenges they face at every stage of their entrepreneurial journey,” said Esperanza Teasdale, VP and GM, Hispanic Business Unit, PepsiCo Beverages North America.
“Three years into this effort, PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos has supported hundreds of Jefa-Owned businesses through various programs and initiatives and remains committed to helping them thrive, through financial, educational, and community building resources.”
Lending her voice to this year’s campaign is actress Stephanie Beatriz, a long-standing advocate for Latina equality and representation across industries.
“In recent years, we’ve seen an amazing wave of support for Latinas across all areas of business. That's why I'm so honored to serve as an ambassador for the Jefa-Owned campaign and contribute to the spark for renewed Latina empowerment,” said Beatriz.
The grant application period closes on September 27.
SKU reveals the brands for Fall ‘24 Track
Amia, Bala Enzyme, Foraged & Found, Kif & Co., Long Table, Modica, Peace Love Hormones and The Bloody Buddy are the eight brands selected for the consumer product accelerator’s Fall ’24 Track – the largest cohort to date.
“We had a number of exceptional applications for this track,” said SKU executive director Buff Greebe.
“We selected an incredible cohort of exciting and innovative brands with dynamic founders who really impressed the SKU team and our mentors.”
The 12-week program kicks off September 4, culminating in a Showcase Pitch. SKU’s Showcase events are considered some of the CPG industry’s most energizing happenings and attract industry leaders from around the country. Each participant is matched with a team of CPG leaders, exited founders, subject-matter experts and investors tailored to meet their individual needs.
“I love to share my experience to help founders not make common mistakes so they accelerate their growth and success,” said SKU mentor Kelly Spillane, investment principal for Whole Foods Market.
Added Kif & Co founder Caroline Brain, “We intend to take full advantage of the program and utilize it as a process to truly accelerate our business. Our core interests in the program include building a greater network of advisors and mentors who can offer expertise and critical connections, developing a long-term sustainable growth strategy.”
The eight Spring ‘24 Track brands
Amia, founded by Jon Katz, is the first functional, better-for-you food brand offering trigger-free food options for the 40 million Americans suffering from migraines. Amia’s first product is a soft-baked oat and seed snack bar, with a larger vision to grow the trigger-free category akin to the gluten- free and free from categories.
Long Table makes nutrient-dense, regeneratively grown, heirloom whole-grain pancake + waffle mixes. In a quest to create a fluffier whole grain pancake, founder Samuel Taylor invented one made out of popped popcorn. Long Table also offers a Blue Corn, Gluten-Free and Heirloom Grain mixes.
Foraged & Found, founded by chef Jenn Brown, revolutionizes pantry staples by infusing everyday foods with sustainably harvested kelp, such as Kelp Pickles, Pasta Sauces and Salsas.
Kif & Co. crafts kefir water, which is a low-sugar, less ‘vinegar-y’ alternative to kombucha. The probiotic solution has a low sugar content and is free from caffeine, gluten and dairy. Kif is available in Cherry Lime Mint, Lemon Ginger Turmeric Cayenne, Passionfruit Lemongrass and Guava Basil.
Modica, created by professional mixologist Eric Wentworth and business partner JD Mitchell, is a line of award-winning cocktail and mocktail mixers, including Tart Cherry Old Fashioned, Cacao Espresso Martini, Cucumber Aloe Margarita and Turmeric Ginger Mule, among others.
The Bloody Buddy is a handcrafted chili-pepper infused vodka and bloody Mary mix, created by former bartenders Buddy Jordan and Joey Kindred. Its preservative free, gluten free and all natural.
Peace Love Hormones (PLH) – founded by Maddie Miles – is an herbal-based supplement brand targeting specific aspects of women’s health. In addition to four specialized tinctures, PLH serves as an educational platform with a robust presence on social media and a popular podcast.
Bala Enzyme was founded by husband-and-wife team Dr Arash Aftabi and Dr Farnoush Fadavi, retired dental surgeons who researched plant-based alternative therapies to help patients recover from post-operative swelling, bruising and inflammation. Bala is a nutrition powder mix made with a patent-pending blend of enzymes, turmeric, electrolytes and amino acids. It is all-natural and has zero sugar.
