The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) has been honored by Progressive Grocer (PG) in the magazine's first-ever PG Commodity Board Retail Leadership Awards. The program was created to recognize "the industry's most dynamic commodity marketing and promotional boards, whose individual efforts have made significant collective strides in bringing cutting-edge retail marketing and promotional campaigns to U.S. supermarkets." WMMB's retail promotional programs have set it apart from other commodity boards. "Developed in close collaboration with retail grocery partners, WMMB's creative, innovative, impactful promotions are supported by an array of educational materials, retail incentives and consumer outreach," PG reported. "Guided by a central focus to provide educational tools for store-level personnel to impart the knowledge and skills needed to interface with shoppers, WMMB's retail training is tailored to the needs of individual retailers, including various levels of training and on-site tours to Wisconsin cheese manufacturers." Between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2011, WMMB conducted 42 cheese tours for 630 store and chain associates. Since January 2010, WMMB has offered more than 75 seminars for retailers. The board's full array of merchandising materials includes more than 15 turnkey promotion themes with 178 customizable variations that help retailers promote and sell more cheese. In recent years, WMMB's retail marketing managers – located regionally throughout the country – have dramatically increased retail activities. In the most recent 18-month period through May 2011, they executed 1,400 promotions. "We view retailers as partners and work hard to provide them with strategic support through our various promotional programs," said James Robson, WMMB's CEO. "Our retail marketing team is an extremely dedicated group. This award is a testament to their efforts, and we are honored to receive it." Photos available upon request. 10.21.2011