USA Onions and Weber have turned up the heat with a new and exciting marketing and promotions campaign designed to provide retail and consumer-direct incentives. USA Onions Marketing Director Sherise Jones said the campaign coincides with College Bowl and professional football seasons, and timing is perfect for movement of Idaho-Eastern Oregon’s signature onions.

The “grilling platform” officially kicked off on Sept. 1, and a number of promotion initiatives are available. Ms. Jones said custom blue Kettle Weber charcoal grills are being provided to retailers upon request and free of charge while supplies last. Grills are being distributed until Dec. 1.

A special retail display contest will also run during the Super Bowl and College Bowl season. This contest will kick off on Dec. 15 and end on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013. Retailers are encouraged to create a special USA Onions-Weber football-themed display that will be installed in produce departments for at least one week during football season.

Entrants submitting photos by Feb. 28 will receive Weber’s Time to Grill cookbook and a chance to win blue Kettles as well as larger gas grills. The grand prize is a Genesis gas grill and $1,500 in cash.

As of Sept. 9, contest participants included Angeli Foods in the Great Lakes states and IGA in the Midwest.

The partnership between USA Onions and Weber also emphasizes the versatility of Idaho-Eastern Oregon onions in the grilling experience. “The homegating theme was really a natural choice for the promotions,” Ms. Jones stated in August. Whether consumers are tailgating at ball games or “homegating” by watching the games on television, she said USA onions can greatly enhance the thrill of the grill.

Consumers can also take part in weekly and monthly in-store sweepstakes through Feb. 3. According to Ms. Jones, consumers can enter the sweepstakes by obtaining a tear-off sheet at their local retail markets and entering the code on the sheet online at www.USAOnions.com. Winners will be drawn at random throughout the promotion period.

Weekly prizes include Weber’s Time to Grill and/or customized Weber Kettle grills. A grand prize winner will be selected to win a large Weber gas grill on Super Bowl Sunday.

Retailers will also have an opportunity to win the same prize if their information is entered by the customer during online registration.

Social network is a hot item these days, and consumers who “like” USA Onions on Facebook or post about their grilling experiences will have an opportunity to win daily and weekly prizes in random drawings. Through this particular promotion, a total of 90 copies of Time to Grill and 90 accessories will be given away through Super Bowl Sunday. One lucky fan will also receive the grand prize of a Weber large gas grill on Super Bowl Sunday.

A final component of this season’s promotions is a 2012-13 broker incentive program that also runs through Super Bowl Sunday. “We want to recognize the people who are helping us get our onions to the end user,” Ms. Jones stated last month. “They are an extension of us, and we want to do this to reward them.”

Brokers who complete the required paperwork and submit invoices can earn eight points per load up to a maximum of $2,500. Earned credits can be used to select awards from a custom-designed Weber grill item catalog. Participants are required to submit their paperwork by Feb. 28, 2013.

Brokers may also accrue additional points exceeding the $2,500 to be used for additional entries in a random drawing for a large Weber gas grill. The winner will be selected at the close of the incentive program.