Exclusive Walmart Effort Benefits Kellogg's, Ubisoft

Battle Creek, Mich. — Kellogg Co. partnered with Paris-based Ubisoft, creator of the "Just Dance" video game franchise, in the fall of 2011 for a promotional program at Walmart. Exclusive Kellogg's brand packaging carried codes through December allowing "Just Dance 3" players to unlock exclusive content.The partnership made sense for all three parties from a branding and consumer benefit perspective because both Kellogg's and the "Just Dance" franchise are "family-friendly brands, and Walmart shoppers really value time with their family," says Aaron Elleman, director of the Kellogg's Walmart shopper marketing team.Perhaps most important, the program made sense for Walmart, which lends strong support to video game launches in its efforts to be thought of as a destination for consumer electronics. Kellogg's not only has high household penetration but also the in-store visibility to drive Walmart shoppers to the less-traveled electronics section of the store, Elleman says.In 3,500 Walmart stores, "Just Dance 3" got a callout in the cereal aisle, which draws the same demographic Ubisoft is targeting for that particular game. The promotion centered on specially marked Kellogg's packages containing a code to unlock an exclusive dance on "Just Dance 3." Messaging ran on 2.6 million packages of Kellogg's cereals, Pop-Tarts and Rice Krispies Treats, for a total of 15 SKUs. That amounts to considerable exposure for Ubisoft not only in-store but also in households, where cereal boxes are read an average of five to seven times, Elleman says."Being on a Kellogg's box – that's a success from a brand equity standpoint," says Steve Carlin, Ubisoft's director of shopper marketing.The "Just Dance" packages did not hit shelves all at once to coincide with the game's Oct. 7 release date, which some observers felt diminished the impact. The specially marked packages only replenished regular Kellogg's packages as they sold through, beginning in late October. Carlin says the soft conversion simply meant the "Just Dance" brand presence alongside Kellogg's was "more spread out over time. I actually consider that a win, although it does make the metrics a little hard to get at."Other in-store elements included a video endcap display in the Walmart Smart Network (in 1,600 stores) and pallet displays in the electronics section.Outside the store, promotional efforts included a USA Today ad and a showcase in Walmart.com's "In Stores Now" section; the latter received some 35 million impressions.Ubisoft's Norwalk, Conn.-based agency, Marketing Drive, designed the packaging and print ad.Marketing Drive suggested that Ubisoft partner with a compatible brand to support the launch of "Just Dance 3." In the pursuit of a profitable partnership, "You have to identify brands that make sense on both sides of the table," Carlin says.Kellogg's made sense for a lot of reasons, including financial considerations, adds Carlin: "Right off the bat, the amount of money spent by Kellogg's effectively bolstered the "Just Dance 3" marketing budget."The partnership and Walmart exclusive made sense for Kellogg's as well. "We all bring something to the table: Ubisoft brings this sexy offer of exclusive game content; Kellogg's brings brand recognition and penetration," Elleman says.And Walmart is, well, Walmart. "Obviously, Walmart is a huge retailer for both of us," Carlin says.While developing a previous Walmart-exclusive program in his former position at Saatchi & Saatchi X, Elleman became well aware that in order to gain incremental display space, brands must present to Walmart exclusive programs that benefit both the retailer and its shoppers. He helped create Procter & Gamble's 2010 "Look Your Best. Play Your Best" program to disrupt budget-minded shoppers out of razor cartridge "refill mode" by leveraging partnerships to make them an offer valuable enough to inspire them to buy P&G's Gillette Fusion razor. A licensed line of razor SKUs carrying graphics from NFL teams was merchandised according to local market. With a razor purchase, football fans received an in-pack code to download an exclusive mini-strategy guide for the newly launched "Madden NFL 10" video game. The program garnered a 2011 Effie award in the competition's first-ever shopper marketing category.Whether or not it receives any awards, the "Just Dance 3" program was a win for the two brands, the retailer and consumers. For Kellogg's, it added "incremental value to our brand exclusively at Walmart," Elleman says, while Walmart saw shoppers driven to electronics, "a part of [the] store where not many shop."

Exclusive Walmart Effort Benefits Kellogg's, Ubisoft

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