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WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Donna Tweeten has been pushing boundaries her entire career, redefining what it means to be a grocery retailer. With a retirement coming up at the end of January and a 30-year successful career at Hy-Vee in the books, Mass Market Retailers is recognizing the national marketing icon for the lasting impact she leaves behind on one of the nation’s most innovative grocery retailers.
“No one has shaped the Hy-Vee brand with such skill, precision and creativity more than Donna Tweeten,” said Hy-Vee chairman and chief executive officer Jeremy Gosch. “Throughout her career, Donna has served as an innovator, trailblazer and creative thinker in nearly every aspect of Hy-Vee’s operations. There’s no doubt that her influence will be felt across Hy-Vee for decades to come.”
Tweeten, who became the first woman to serve as Hy-Vee’s president in 2022, has been making waves across the advertising and retail sectors since the very beginning of her professional career. Prior to joining Hy-Vee, Tweeten worked for ad agencies in Chicago and Des Moines, counseling companies on how to build their brands and earn the trust of consumers.
A self-described people pleaser, Tweeten says she approaches every challenge with an optimistic and positive attitude.
“I don’t like the word ‘no.’ I see the glass half full. I’m not fearful of a good challenge, and I’m not fearful of failure,” said Tweeten.
It’s this philosophy that has guided Tweeten’s professional career. Over the past 30 years, she has skillfully crafted the Hy-Vee brand into one that has become synonymous with quality, variety, convenience, healthy lifestyles, culinary expertise and superior customer service. Under her leadership, the Hy-Vee name has become a nationally known brand, earning a series of accolades from Forbes, Newsweek and TIME magazine. This year, Tweeten’s influence was further proven when the grocery brand was voted the No. 1 Grocer in the nation by USA TODAY readers.
“What’s amazing about Hy-Vee is we’re a 95-year-old company with roots in Iowa,” said Tweeten. “Yet, when you look at our place in grocery retail, it’s impressive. The reputation, the brand that we’ve built — that’s because we act like a start-up. We’re full of big ideas, a lot of energy and a can-do attitude.”
A Bold Marketer
Serving as Hy-Vee’s chief marketing officer for much of her career, Tweeten has always brought a fresh perspective to the retail space.
One of her proudest achievements has been building Hy-Vee’s state-of-the-art retail media network, RedMedia, and introducing it to the marketplace to connect brands with consumers using omnichannel placement and first-party data. Even in its infancy, the media network was lauded for its innovative capabilities and return on investment across the industry.
“The fact that RedMedia is being nationally recognized and has gotten attention that networks of our size don’t usually get, is a credit to our team and what’s been built so far,” said Tweeten.
The marketing mastermind has also been instrumental in shaping Hy-Vee’s content marketing strategy. In 2006, Tweeten helped launch the Hy-Vee Seasons print lifestyle magazine, featuring everything from culinary hacks and health trends to fitness and more.
“The magazine has been around for 18 years,” said Tweeten. “It’s something I’ve always thought of as the ‘crown jewel’ of the marketing department. Martha Stewart one time saw it at a conference and said, ‘I’m glad I don’t have to compete with this magazine on the newsstand,’ which was quite the compliment.”
Tweeten can also be credited for helping Hy-Vee become the first retailer to develop a streaming network. Introduced in 2018, the network featured a wide spectrum of topics — everything from a beginner cooking series and shows on entertaining and etiquette to floral arranging and even a reality cooking-dating show.
As consumer trends have evolved, so too has Hy-Vee’s marketing strategy. This year, Tweeten and her team introduced an entirely reimagined Hy-Vee Seasons experience that combines the magazine and streaming network into one all-digital platform, allowing users to read, stream and shop content, as well as access an influencer hub for further inspiration.
An Eye for Talent
When it comes to developing influencer partnerships, Tweeten has always been known for spotting incredible talent. Her ability to see the potential in sports marketing led Hy-Vee to sign mega athletes early in their careers, including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes during his rookie season, and later his teammate, Travis Kelce. Both celebrity athletes have appeared in a series of Hy-Vee commercials, promoting the retailer’s e-commerce service, holiday meals and its commitment to quality.
But it wasn’t until 2021 when Tweeten made her boldest move, signing a young athlete who would ultimately become one of Hy-Vee’s most influential brand partners: Caitlin Clark.
Tweeten first learned about the rising basketball star from her son, who had seen Clark playing in a local high school basketball game. In the months following, Tweeten kept a watchful eye on the young athlete as rumors began to swirl about a possible change to the NCAA’s name, image and likeness (NIL) policy. In 2021, the new policy passed, allowing corporations to sign college athletes — and Tweeten was ready. That year, Clark signed her first-ever NIL agreement with Hy-Vee and has since become a brand ambassador for the retailer, promoting Hy-Vee’s HyChi food service, and health and fitness initiatives. More recently, Clark teamed up with the retailer to develop a limited-edition Caitlin’s Crunch Time cereal exclusive to Hy-Vee stores.
As Clark’s fame increased over the years, so too did the spotlight on Hy-Vee’s brand. Clark’s massive fan base — first as a college athlete and now as a WNBA professional — has allowed Hy-Vee to expand its reach to new audiences and drive more traffic to its stores for limited-edition Clark memorabilia.
A Champion for Women
Tweeten credits much of her success to several key individuals who have guided and supported her during different stages of her life.
Growing up, her mother served as one of her first guiding influences, demon-strating how women could maintain a work/life balance while also showing ambition and seeking new opportunities. Tweeten’s high school volleyball coach served as another early mentor, teaching her how to motivate and lead others.
“With leadership comes influence, and both taught me the lessons of how to use your influence for good,” Tweeten said.
As Tweeten grew professionally, some of her biggest cheerleaders have included Hy-Vee’s retired executive chairman, Randy Edeker, and Hy-Vee’s current chairman and CEO, Jeremy Gosch, who have both supported her big and bold initiatives at Hy-Vee.
As Tweeten has advanced in her career, she has used her own influence to bring more women alongside her, elevating their voices in the workplace and encouraging them to share their unique perspectives to drive business decisions.
For all these reasons and more, Mass Market Retailers is proud to acknowledge Donna Tweeten with its Lifetime Achievement Award this year. Her impact on the industry will leave a lasting impression on many. •
