Kimberly-Clark Works with Colgate-Palmolive

Neenah, Wis. — Wanting to deliver a strong retailer-based program during the critical back-to-school season, Kimberly-Clark partnered with New York-based Colgate-Palmolive Co. on a healthy habits shopper marketing effort that promoted better consumer health and hygiene.The program relied heavily on in-store merchandising, with major grocery, drug and mass retailers including Kmart and CVS/pharmacy running co-branded endcap displays that featured such brands as Kleenex and U by Kotex from Kimberly-Clark, and Palmolive, Colgate and Lady Speed Stick from Colgate-Palmolive. JWT Action handled the creative."We've been hearing from retailers who are interested in doing broader programs that go across more brands," says Anne Jones, vice president of shopper marketing and business development at Kimberly-Clark. "We already had [co-marketing] programs in the field with Colgate-Palmolive; their brands have a high cross-purchase index with ours. We were looking for a way to generate more impact across the total store and bring scale to programs for our retailer partners."The "Set Them Up for Success" program targeted female shoppers – specifically moms – and enlisted HealthyChildren.org (the official parenting website of the American Academy of Pediatrics) to raise awareness of the importance of healthy habits like hand washing, brushing teeth, stocking lunch boxes with healthy foods and preventing the spread of germs."There was tremendous collaboration between our two teams," says Barry Roberts, director of retail shopper solutions at Colgate-Palmolive. "By encouraging healthy routines among children, such as proper hand washing and twice-daily brushing, this program will help establish a foundation for success at home and at school."Consumer research from a panel of 250 moms confirmed that mothers tend to recommit to healthy habits when their kids head back to school. Meanwhile, according to K-C's Jones, retailer data suggested an opportunity to capitalize in areas beyond traditional seasonal categories like tissues and school supplies to include feminine care, which would appeal to female college students.K-C and Colgate-Palmolive looked for off-the-shelf display opportunities that would increase basket size and drive category growth. The featured endcaps included header cards and shelf strips developed by Colgate vendor Benchmark USA, Mission Viejo, Calif.The campaign, which launched in July, was promoted through retailer circulars and FSIs, a dedicated Facebook page, and PR events with pediatrician Dr. Alanna Levine, spokesperson for HealthyChildren.org. Levine also conducted a series of interviews for magazine articles and local market TV shows, as well as live Q&A sessions on the campaign's Facebook page. Online banner advertising supported, while Hispanic market radio ads were also part of the mix."There's an increasingly wide range on the timing of back-to-school programs," notes Jones. "This year we even saw some ads starting to run right after the Fourth of July; others weren't in market until the night before school started. So we made sure we offered a wide window on the introduction of this program."To measure success, Jones says, "We've got a robust plan that includes both attitudinal shifts and purchase behavior." K-C and Colgate-Palmolive will look at participation rates from retailers on the merchandising program, consumer perception change through brand surveys and sales trends to judge program impact and ROI.

Kimberly-Clark Works with Colgate-Palmolive

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