Integrated Marketing Works for Walgreens, Coca-Cola

In an ideal world, all of Walgreens’ integrated marketing campaigns would drive incremental sales, deliver on the strategic objectives of the program and grow brand equity. But “I can count on one hand the programs that have delivered exceptionally well on all those things,” said Moe Alkemade, Walgreens group vice president, general merchandise manager, competitive intelligence, during a Path to Purchase Expo keynote presentation in September.One program that has delivered is Walgreens’ annual Red Nose Day effort in partnership with nonprofit organization Comic Relief Inc. In its second year in 2016, the campaign “hit on all three” of those success measures, said Alkemade, who alongside Coca-Cola Co.’s Ivan Pollard detailed the cause marketing program, including the collaborative efforts between the retailer and manufacturer.The centerpiece of the effort is an emblematic red nose. Walgreens donates to the Red Nose Day fund for each one sold in stores during the campaign (5 million in 2015, and just under 14 million in 2016).With a “Get Seriously Silly” theme this year that fits into Walgreens’ brand promise to “make feeling good easier,” the retailer leveraged a “360 marketing” strategy anchored in content that integrated suppliers at every step. “We used all of our vehicles across the board to ensure that we had engagement and awareness of the program,” Alkemade said. “This got 100% execution” at the store level. In total, Walgreens raised over $20 million for Comic Relief and created 4.3 billion impressions.Furthermore, the retailer’s supplier partners saw double-digit growth. “These things don’t work unless you get the support of your major strategic suppliers,” Alkemade said. “To get engagement and support from companies like Coke, they have to believe in the long-term proposition.”Walgreens created “a great integrated, shopper-centric, multi-touchpoint program,” said Pollard, senior vice president, strategic marketing, Coca-Cola. It was “a compelling and commercially very successful partnership. What we mean by successful is three things: it delighted our consumers, it profitably drove both of our businesses, and, most importantly, it did good in the world."“This was about making some really smart and thoughtful investments in a way that made a difference to the shopper — a positive difference — through an insights-driven shopper marketing campaign.”Coca-Cola’s involvement centered heavily on the social aspects of the campaign as well as what Pollard called “the last five feet” in stores where dedicated displays merchandised products from participating manufacturers.Pollard said that when planning all of its integrated marketing campaigns, Coca-Cola considers:How the shopper got to that point in the shelf.What tools she used to navigate her way there.What she brought into the store with her (in her head, in her heart and in her hands).What she’s going to do next and how Coca-Cola can affect that.“This requires a very big mind shift, but it’s a very important one,” Pollard said. “It also requires a lot deeper understanding of the shopper. You end up with much more powerful end-to-end integrated campaigns that can genuinely make a difference.”It was important for Coca-Cola to embrace its supporting role in the Red Nose Day campaign and follow the leader (Walgreens), but also to stick to its principles, Pollard said. “And you have to be willing to learn. Your partners will teach you things you will never learn when executing programs on your own. And you have to bring your very best self to the party. It’s no good to short-change these things.”Alkemade said that Walgreens began planning for the 2017 Red Nose Day campaign the day that the 2016 effort ended. He encouraged suppliers to get involved with this and other integrated marketing campaigns. “These are programs that provide incrementality,” he said. “They go way beyond price and assortment. From a point of differentiation, that’s where you want to go.“This worked. This was a program that I call best in class. Look for these opportunities with your retailers and with Walgreens. They’re hard to find. You have to take a chance on things.”

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