How Do You Get 300,000 Families to Send You Photos of Them Sharing a Meal Together?

Promoting and Advancing Petroleum Marketing, Retail Grocery, and Convenience Stores in West Virginia

Driving Local Business and Community Growth Across West Virginia

Our Purpose and Commitment

OMEGA is a West Virginia-based organization dedicated to supporting and advancing the business interests of the state’s petroleum marketing, retail grocery, and convenience store industries.

As a network of over 225 locally owned businesses, OMEGA actively promotes cooperation, advocates for favorable legislation, and provides education and resources to its members. With over 50,000 employees, OMEGA members significantly contribute to the state’s economy, generating more than 10% of all state taxes and supporting local communities through scholarships, charitable donations, and civic involvement.

OMEGA is committed to fostering industry growth while serving West Virginians with essential services like fuel, food, and convenience.

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Your Essential Connection in West Virginia

OMEGA offers three types of membership: Convenience Store Members, Petroleum Marketer Members, and Grocer Members, all of which play a vital role in providing fuel, food, and essentials across West Virginia. As a liaison with state and national agencies, OMEGA works closely with organizations like NACS, PMAA, FMI, and the N.G.A. to advocate on behalf of its members.

We keep members informed through newsletters, legislative updates, an online resource hub, and educational seminars. Additional member benefits include access to the Encova Workers’ Compensation Discount Program and participation in our annual Trade Expo and fundraising efforts for children’s charities. OMEGA is here to support, advocate, and enhance the success of our industry members.

Hy-Vee had a simple goal that it shared with food retailers and wholesalers across the country last year and will again this September as the industry celebrates National Family Meals Month™.

By: Tom Cosgrove, Manager, Program and Development, FMI Foundation <img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/hy-vee-innovation-2.tmb-large-350-.jpg?sfvrsn=118706e_1" data-displaymode="Thumbnail" alt="Hy-Vee Innovation" title="Hy-Vee Innovation 2" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" /> <a href="https://www.hy-vee.com/">Hy-Vee</a> had a simple goal last year as they celebrated <a href="https://www.fmi.org/family-meals">National Family Meals Month</a>™. They knew that, if families can simply share one more meal together each week, the health and societal benefits can be enormous. This is how successful last year’s Hy-Vee <a href="https://www.fmi.org/family-meals">National Family Meals Month</a>™ campaign to encourage families to enjoy regular meals together was: <ul> <li>More than 302,000 families posted photos of themselves enjoying a meal together using the hashtag <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23hyveefamilymeals&src=typd" target="_blank">#HyVeeFamilyMeals</a> on social media. In return, as promised, Hy-Vee donated $100,000 to Heartland, a nonprofit dedicated to feeding the hungry.</li> <li>More than 41,500 kids enjoyed a free meal at one of the 90-plus Market Grill restaurants in Hy-Vee stores when the chain offered a kids-eat-free deal in exchange for the purchase of an adult entrée.</li> <li>At least 45 television and radio stations broadcast interviews with Hy-Vee dietitians throughout the eight Midwestern states where Hy-Vee stores are located.</li> <li>Nearly 2.5 million people received messages about National Family Meals Month™ from Hy-Vee via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.</li> </ul> These examples and more can be found in FMI Foundation’s <a href="https://www.fmi.org/family-meals/toolkits/best-practice-guide">Best Practices for National Family Meals Month™ 2017</a>. Understanding how important the annual month-long event was, the company marshalled all 84,000 of its employees – including 228 dietitians in 242 stores – in the effort. The first step Hy-Vee took was to carefully prepare the collateral materials it would need to make its case to the consumers throughout the region it serves. This content includes: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/englewoodhyvee/videos/vb.163780300308015/1277648795587821/?type=2&theater" target="_blank">TV commercials and videos</a> that could be uploaded to social media channels</li> <li>In-store and in-restaurant point-of-sale materials</li> <li>Scripts for in-store intercom announcements</li> <li>A full-color spread in the company’s Seasons Magazine</li> </ul> Even then, Hy-Vee wasn’t through laying the groundwork for what would eventually be a successful campaign. Next it contacted more than 40 of its vendors and asked for their assistance in promoting its <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23hyveefamilymeals&src=typd" target="_blank">#HyVeeFamilyMeals</a> social media campaign. It let congressional representatives and governors in the eight states it serves know about the campaign and asked for their participation. There are more than 50 large school districts in the area Hy-Vee serves and each one of them got messaging about the campaign they could include in their school newsletters and communications with parents. The company followed that up with a news release that went to 2,600 media outlets and trade publications. By the time September 30 rolled around, you would be hard-pressed to find anybody from Minnesota and Wisconsin down to Iowa and Illinois who hadn’t learned about Hy-Vee’s effort to encourage families to enjoy one more meal together each week. What’s your plan for this year’s National Family Meals Month™? Go to <a href="https://www.fmi.org/family-meals">www.FMIFamilyMeals.com</a> to learn how you and your company can participate.

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Supporting West Virginia Communities

OMEGA members play a vital role in West Virginia, supporting communities through substantial tax contributions and a wide-reaching presence across the state. With over 55% of the population living in border counties, our members are dedicated to serving both local and regional needs. Beyond business, we’re proud to give back, having contributed over $3.1 million to children’s charities since 2003, reflecting our commitment to making a positive difference.