Walmart Promises 'More School for Your Money'

Walmart kept the emphasis on value during back-to-school season while bolstering related digital activity.The retailer’s campaign is running under a “More School for your money. Guaranteed” message, another variation on a seasonal slogan that has been in place since last year. (See “Walmart Stays with Value” in Related Articles.)In stores, the message is plastered across P-O-P materials that began landing in Action Alley immediately after the Fourth of July holiday. The materials include ceiling banners, pallet displays, endcaps and dump bins, many of which are custom displays supplied by national brands including Procter & Gamble's Bounty Basic, Newell Rubbermaid's Sharpie and Expo, Hallmark Cards’ Crayola, and the flagships of Elmer’s Products and Bic Corp.Elmer's gains an extra presence in stores through a "Bag It Forward" cause partnership with nonprofit Champions for Kids. The effort encompasses custom "Back to School" bags filled with supplies and roughly $30 worth of coupons shoppers can purchase and drop in upfront donation drop boxes. The Elmer’s logo also graces floorstands that distribute school supply lists and merchandise Walmart gift cards. The displays tout a national campaign from Elmer’s that positions the brand as “the official sponsor of the 1st day of school,” and carry a QR code that links to a download for a free smartphone application that lets users take, customize and share photos.Store seasonal aisles merchandise various school supplies on orange shelf trays, some of which bear stickers touting Walmart's price-match guarantee. (See "Walmart Guarantees ...") A dedicated in-line section aimed at both teachers and students boasts more than 100 supplies ranging from jumbo paperclips to rubber band balls at an 88-cent price point. “This is an all-new program, and a large majority of these products are new for this year,” communications director Danit Marquardt told USA Today. In grocery aisles, Kraft Foods' Nabisco supplies custom "Back to School Snacks" dump bins merchandising MIni Chips Ahoy, Teddy Grahams, Nutter Butter Bites, Ritz Bits and Mini Oreo at a $1 price point. An exclusive overlay to General Mills’ “Box Tops for Education” program also earns extensive play. (See “Walmart Keeps Ahead ...”)In stores providing eye care services, ceiling banners and stanchion signs tout various seasonal deals.Online, Walmart touts free shipping on back-to-school supplies and uniforms via top-of-the-page text that links to a back-to-school microsite. There, Elmer’s continues to have a presence: The brand logo is depicted on a pair of rotating carousel ads that link to various product categories in the site's e-commerce area. A third carousel ad, meanwhile, plugs a national promotion from PepsiCo’s Quaker. (See “Quaker ‘Power Their Potential’ Contest” in Related Promotional Activity.)The microsite also links to school supplies organized by grade level as well as other categories, including apparel and grocery, while additionally offering related content such as craft ideas. Among manufacturers and brands running back-to-school themed ads on the microsite and elsewhere on walmart.com are Nestlé, Hillshire Brands Co.’s Sara Lee, Kellogg Co.’s Kellogg’s and ConAgra Foods’ Orville Redenbacher's. Most ads link to brand showcases (handled by Los Angeles-based Lunchbox) or dedicated brand pages in the website’s “In Stores Now” section (operated by Triad Retail Media, Tampa, FL), with some accompanied by background skins.Elsewhere online, a back-to-school themed grocery hub spotlights “Featured Brands” from manufacturers including J.M. Smucker Co., PepsiCo, Unilever, General Mills, Clorox Co., Kimberly-Clark, Kraft Foods and Nestlé. Vendor-supported content includes a “New School” page sponsored by Reckitt Benckiser’s Lysol that links to non-core supplies such as hand soap, sun care and vitamins in the e-commerce area.The retailer’s focus on grocery was also evident in stand-alone inserts running in mid-week newspapers (see “Walmart ‘Support Local Schools’ Insert”) and a full-page ad in the August issue of Time Inc.’s Essence. The latter showcased brands including Smucker’s Jif, Mills’ Honey Nut Cheerios and Welch Foods’ Welch’s under a “Back to school. Back to savings. Back to Walmart” message.In other activity, the retailer’s @WalmartLabs division (see “Growth Continues …”) has been busy launching several new online tools for back-to-school:A “Classrooms by Walmart” database lets teachers post supply lists that parents can search by school, district or city. The destination also links to categories including “Elementary School Supplies,” “Recommended Reading Lists” and “Snacks and Meals” housed within a special back-to-school themed e-commerce shop.A “Back to School Closet Creator” helps visitors mix and match outfits “on a budget” and share their creations via social media. It spotlights “Great Back to School brands” including Fruit of the Loom and private label L.e.i., and is presented under yet another spin on Walmart’s seasonal slogan: “Their Back to School closet for less. Guaranteed.” Meanwhile, a school uniforms e-commerce shop lists Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Co.’s Dickies, VF Corp.’s Wrangler and private label Faded Glory among “Featured Brands.” (The apparel category also got a boost with the introduction of a “Satisfaction Guarantee” that promises a full refund on any item within 90 days of purchase with a receipt, as well as the addition of And1 to the brand lineup.)Targeting college students, a “Spark Studio” destination sponsored by Sodastream International borrows from Pinterest to present living space vignettes comprising various items theoretically available at the retailer (although there are no e-commerce links). Pinterest members can pin the items they like to their own digital boards; visitors also are invited to follow the retailer’s corresponding Pinterest page.A “College Living” microsite houses other campaign elements geared toward older students, including an online “College checklist” sponsored by Hewlett-Packard’s HP. Advertisers supplying banner ads to the microsite include Dell, Sony, Henkel Corp.’s Right Guard and Dr Pepper Snapple Group’s Mott’s, all presented as “College Living Partners.” In stores, "On the Move" side panels distribute separate shopping checklists for dorm, apartment and house dwellers.Email blasts and Facebook updates link to the various online destinations. Circular features support.Marketing activity also encompasses a 30-second TV spot that gives a back-to-school spin to the price-comparison spots that Walmart has been running this year (see "Walmart Stays ..."), as well as regional radio spots and print ads in regional newspapers.

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