Weigel’s Wins Promotion Excellence Award for NIL Partnership with Coca-Cola Consolidated

[Knoxville, TN] – [March 14, 2025] – Convenience Store News has honored Weigel’s with the 2025 Promotion Excellence Award in its inaugural Category Excellence Awards, recognizing the retailer’s groundbreaking NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) partnership with Coca-Cola Consolidated. This award celebrates Weigel’s innovative promotional campaign, which resulted in over 97,000 free 24oz Coca-Colas being given to MyWeigel’s Rewards members, driving record engagement and loyalty growth.

The promotion, which ran exclusively through social media, rewarded customers with a free Coca-Cola whenever Christian Moore hit a home run or Karlyn Pickens struck out six batters. By not using any in-store signage or communication, Weigel’s successfully built a direct bridge between social media engagement and loyalty participation, making this one of the most unique and effective NIL retail campaigns in the industry.

Impact at a Glance

97,000+ Coca-Colas given away to MyWeigel’s Rewards members.
6 million+ social media impressions during the NIL baseball/softball season.
Zero in-store signage—promotion was 100% social media-driven, strengthening the connection between digital engagement and loyalty sign-ups.
Active Members: Transactions from registered MyWeigel’s Rewards members increased by 12%, reinforcing long-term engagement with the program.
Loyalty transactions surged +14% during College World Series Week, reflecting heightened fan engagement.
College World Series Week: MyWeigel’s Rewards gave over $88,000 in free product by quickly adding 10 other vendors to the program to celebrate Christian Moore’s National Championship, all communicated through social media.

Industry Recognition & Continued Innovation

“We’re incredibly proud to be recognized for our commitment to innovative promotions and community engagement,” said Nick Triantafellou, Director of Marketing & Merchandising at Weigel’s. “This NIL partnership wasn’t just about a giveaway—it was about celebrating our customers, athletes, and local sports culture in a way that created real excitement and long-term brand loyalty. We didn’t rely on traditional in-store marketing for this campaign—our customers engaged with us entirely through social media, proving the power of digital-first promotions in driving real foot traffic and sales.”

Jessica Starnes, Director of Loyalty at Weigel’s, added: “Our NIL Coca-Cola campaign proved that when you create real connections between sports, community, and rewards, customers respond in a big way. By keeping the promotion digital-first, we drove loyalty sign-ups, engagement, and ultimately, repeat visits. Seeing loyalty app downloads spike by 30% during the College World Series and product redemptions exceed 50% proves that customers don’t just sign up—they actively engage with our program. This campaign shows how powerful the combination of loyalty, sports culture, and digital engagement can be in reshaping the convenience retail landscape.”

With the success of this record-breaking campaign, Weigel’s plans to expand its NIL program even further in 2025, adding more athletes and exclusive loyalty-driven promotions. As Weigel’s continues to evolve its NIL partnerships—with a roster of 27 athletes spanning UT, ETSU, and UTC—this award further cements its position as a leader in promotional innovation and customer engagement.

For more updates on Weigel’s promotions and community partnerships, visit www.weigels.com or follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram @weigelsstores.