Full Carts, Full Hearts
How BAM Connected Back-to-School CPG Brands to Feeding America's 240-Food Bank Network — Driving Record Retail Sales While Fighting Childhood Hunger
The Challenge
Back-to-School is one of the most competitive retail windows of the year. For CPG brands, breaking through the clutter to earn incremental merchandising support from retailers requires more than a promotional price point — it requires a story worth telling. A group of Back-to-School brands came to BAM seeking a platform that could enhance purchase intent, earn meaningful retail support, and connect with consumers on an emotional level during a critical selling period.
The Approach
BAM identified childhood hunger as the strategic foundation — a cause that is both deeply relevant to the Back-to-School season and universally resonant with consumers, retailers, and brand partners alike.
We negotiated a national partnership with Feeding America, the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States, and their network of 240 food banks nationwide. The partnership included licensed use of the trusted Feeding America logo in brand advertising and point-of-sale materials — a powerful trust signal that meaningfully elevates brand perception at shelf.
The program mechanics were simple, transparent, and emotionally compelling: the purchase of each participating brand resulted in a weekend or holiday meal backpack for a child in need — children who rely on the subsidized school lunch program and go without adequate nutrition during breaks from school. BAM negotiated a preferred rate of $1 per backpack, making the program financially viable for brands of all sizes.
In-store, the promotion was brought to life through a comprehensive suite of retail materials that made the cause connection clear and the call to action immediate.
BAM Services Provided: Sponsorship Research & Procurement · Sales Training & Retail Presentation Materials · Point-of-Sale Materials · Program Fulfillment & Measurement
The Results
🛒Record Back-to-School sales for participating brands at every retailer
🏪Widespread retail acceptance with breakthrough incremental merchandising support
🤝National partnership with Feeding America and 240 food banks across the U.S.
🎒Meal backpacks delivered to children in need through every participating purchase
The promotion earned exceptional retail support precisely because it gave retailers something equally valuable — a community story to tell. Local food bank connections made the program personally relevant to store managers, regional buyers, and shoppers alike, driving acceptance and display support that purely promotional programs rarely achieve.
Why It Worked
Cause marketing succeeds when the cause is authentic, the mechanics are simple, and the partnership is credible. By anchoring the program to Feeding America — one of America's most recognized and trusted nonprofit brands — BAM gave participating CPG brands instant credibility and a emotionally resonant reason to buy that transcended price. The result was a program that worked for everyone: brands earned record sales, retailers earned community goodwill, and children in need received consistent nutrition support during the most vulnerable gaps in the school calendar.
Ready to build a cause marketing program that drives both sales and social impact? Contact BAM to learn how we can connect your brand to a platform that resonates with retailers and consumers alike.
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