J&J Goes Circo-Exclusive at Target

New Brunswick, N.J. — Understanding that parents generally don’t think about baby skincare products individually but rather as part of a larger ritual, Johnson & Johnson wanted to make it easier for parents to find the best products when they shop at Target.In an exclusive partnership, J&J rolled out colorful product sleeves that brought a unique design element to various Johnson’s baby products. The sleeves featured popular prints from Target’s Circo private label.Targeting both design-savvy Millennial moms as well as gift-giving shoppers, the polka dot, chevron and stripe designs (based on the Circo baby patterns) were called out on an endcap solution that is “inspirational,” says Heather Campain, director of shopper marketing, J&J. The product launched in stores and on Target.com on Nov. 1, 2015, and was available until early January. “Our partnership with Target’s Circo brand provides moms with a full bath-time solution and makes it easier to pair related skincare products with their coordinating patterns and colors,” says Kelly Fanning, senior brand manager, Johnson’s. Consumer and shopper studies also provided insight as to what is important to new moms and gift givers. “Gift givers strive to find smart solutions for moms that can be customized and gifted at baby showers,” Fanning says. “We also know that when new moms shop and prepare for baby, design of products is increasingly important. By placing the Circo-designed products together on one endcap, we created a convenient one-stop shop for moms.”“Our partnership with Target was highly collaborative – both brands are committed to supporting the well-being of families everywhere and providing a convenient shopping experience,” Campain says. “It was a great example of the brand team working with the local shopper marketing team, and working cross-functionally with Target to be completely integrated across both the baby department and also along the path to purchase.”The grassroots promotion lived primarily on digital, allowing the company to tap into the platforms where Millennial moms are shopping for products and searching for gift-giving ideas, says Fanning. Out-of-store elements included digital banner ads that were geo-targeted to moms living near Target stores, paid social media support, a Target circular ad and offers through Target’s Cartwheel app.“The launch was also supported through influencer blog and social media content that highlights unique DIY gift-giving ideas inspired by the product patterns and colors to generate awareness and build relevancy for the activation,” says Fanning. All promotion elements had a clear call to action, driving consumers to find these products exclusively at Target or Target.com.In stores, the endcap and Circo product designs created an immediate impact. “The in-store display showcased the Johnson’s brand and highlighted the exclusivity of the partnership,” Campain says. The header card displayed the program’s tag “Squeaky Clean and Oh So Cute,” a play on both the baby and the designs on the bottles.Alaina Penton, baby care buyer at Target, says of the program: “This was a great opportunity to take a classic brand in a signature business and, through partnership with our internal design team, take these adorable prints to make fun bath time solutions or gifting opportunities for our guests.”Fanning says Johnson’s will measure the program’s success by looking at sales of the designed bottles during the nine weeks as well as evaluating these sales versus endcaps of products without the designer wraps. “We’ll also look at overall incrementality of the program, and the ability to expand category growth by creating designs that attract new consumers and gift givers.”Partners in the program included Nsight Connect, Minneapolis (in-store concept and initial creative); OMD, New York (digital ads); Zocalo, Chicago (Johnson’s social content); CrowdTap, New York (blog posts); and RF-Binder, New York (PR efforts and influencer DIY content).While Johnson’s wouldn’t divulge its marketing budget for the campaign, Campain says it efficiently leveraged many of the brand’s current plans while driving a call to action on the offer at Target. “The smart synergy between the local shopper marketing team and brand team to make sure that we were maximizing all aspects of the program was exceptional,” she says.

J&J Goes Circo-Exclusive at Target

P2PI MEMBERS

JOIN P2PI

Related Images

Business Topic

Company

Market Segment