Wal-Mart Paints Action Alley Green

Wal-Mart planted an epic campaign this month to spur mass consumption of sustainable products.Leveraging April's designation as Earth Month (which peaks with "Earth Day" on April 22), the chain kicked off a "Live Better" campaign on March 31 to spotlight energy-saving products throughout the store with a blanket of green messages and P-O-P displays. Billed by Wal-Mart as its "most comprehensive" sustainability program to date, the month-long campaign showcases national brand and private-label products that make an environmental impact while also fortifying the chain's EDLP positioning.The "Live Better" campaign poses the formula, "You x 200 million = A brighter future," referring to the energy savings that would result if all 200 million Wal-Mart shoppers purchased an "Earth-friendly product." According to a company press release, the message demonstrates how "simple choices in what we buy and use can have a big impact on the world around us."Receiving strong merchandising support are more than 50 "Earth-friendly products" that tackle such sustainability issues as energy conservation, waste reduction and organics. The products are stocked on bright green displays with graphics that explain how each one "makes a difference." Pallet displays line Action Alley, while PDQ trays, cut cases and other temporary units receive endcap, four-way and in-line placement. Additional display support includes ceiling banners, cooler clings, side panels and signs for featured products.Most of the P-O-P materials reference "Earth Month '08" and feature the chain's "Save Money. Live Better" tagline, with the latter phrase in larger text.Participating products span diverse categories, including grocery, apparel, appliance, automotive, home & garden, consumer electronics and media. They include national brands (Clorox Co.'s Green Works line and STP, General Mills' Cheerios and Nature Valley, General Electric Energy Smart light bulbs, PepsiCo's SunChips, Procter & Gamble's Pur and Tide Coldwater); natural and organic vendors (Silk, Stonyfield Farm, Horizon Organic, Simplicity); media companies (Universal Music Group, BBC); and private labels (Faded Glory, Parent's Choice, Sam's Choice). In addition to the prime display placement in stores, the products are featured on a special Earth Month microsite.The effort kicked off with eight pages in the chain's March 30 circular featuring many of the aforementioned products. Wal-Mart has been using the "You x 200 Million" formula since April 2007, when it broke TV spots to mark that Earth Day. (See "Store Check..." in Related Articles.)In related activity, Wal-Mart rolled out a six-blend line of gourmet coffee under the Sam's Choice label. Certified either as organic, fair trade or other socially conscious designation, the line is supplied by Cafe Bom Dia, Brazil, which Wal-Mart touts as the "world's first Carbon Neutral roaster" (having been certified as producing zero net carbon emissions). Ten-ounce bags retail for $5.88 and are merchandised on a dedicated Earth Month pallet.In addition, the chain's Faded Glory label offers T-shirts bearing Earth Day messages that are composed of cotton from "fields that are transitioning to organic." The product gets dedicated pallets in Action Alley.Wal-Mart features about 500 products on the Earth Month microsite. The items include recyclable and biodegradable products, home appliances, wood furniture, organic cotton, solar-powered lighting and compact fluorescent light bulbs.Among campaign activity are several exclusive programs from leading packaged-goods companies, including: Coca-Cola provides co-branded "Drink 2 Wear" T-shirts made from a blend of recycled plastic bottles and cotton. Signs on Coca-Cola pallet displays direct shoppers online to buy the T-shirts. Hallmark delivers eco-friendly cards composed of 50% sugar cane and 50% recycled paper. Accompanying endcap panels in the card department boast that, "No trees were cut down to make these cards." (See Image at right.) Campbell Soup Co. distributes cans of tomato and chicken noodle soup sporting green Earth Day packaging. The limited-edition cans receive endcap placement in stores. T-Mobile awards a $25 Wal-Mart gift card by mail to customers who recycle used cell phones in the electronics department from March 24 to April 25. Kellogg Co. pledges support for a chainwide Earth Day event on April 19, when Wal-Mart stores will give away one million reusable shopping bags. Merchandised on endcaps near checkout, the reusable bags otherwise retail for $1. Also on Earth Day, cable TV network Nickelodeon (which has a special marketing deal with Wal-Mart) will supply kids with free cards containing wildflower seeds.Elsewhere, Universal Music Group has placed an insert in dozens of CD titles that can be planted to grow wildflowers. The company's titles, which are packaged in recyclable materials, receive endcap placement in the electronics department, supported by "Live Better" signage. (See Image at right.) The campaign's media plan also includes seven TV spots developed by The Martin Agency, Richmond, VA. Each spot touts the environmental impact of a particular product, such as Sam's Choice coffee, Clorox Green Works or Pur water filters. The chain also ran a co-op ad with Pur in the April 6 issue of Parade. Wal-Mart also placed 16-page inserts in the May issues of consumer magazines.Meanwhile, sister chain Sam's Club has activated a "Plant a Tree for Me" program with Dell Inc. that asks customers to offset the carbon emissions of their laptop and desktop computers. Shoppers can contribute $2 per laptop purchase or $6 per desktop to benefit tree-planting initiatives by The Conservation Fund and Carbonfund.org. Dell began its "Plant a Forest for Me" program in January 2007.In February, Sam's Club entered private-label products into its parent company's Sustainable Packaging Scorecard (see Related Articles), and recently rolled out concentrated laundry detergent under the Member's Mark private label.Wal-Mart, Bentonville, AR, operates 2,447 supercenters, 971 discount stores, 132 Neighborhood Markets and 591 Sam's Clubs locations nationwide.The company was criticized this month by an advertising industry watchdog for making the marketing claim that shopping at the chain saves families an average of $2,500 per year. The National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus clarified that customers save an average of $2,500 regardless of where they shop, because the presence of Wal-Mart drives down consumer prices throughout the U.S. economy. The organization advocated for the retailer to revise the message.

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