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Driving the door

3/27/2009

Starting this spring, True Value will launch a series of limited-time, nationwide promotions to be fueled by Sunday newspaper and television advertising. In a departure from the past, the program will feature specific item and price information on deeply discounted specials.

According to Carol Wentworth, VP marketing for the Chicago-based co-op, the promotions reflect a more aggressive approach to "driving the door," through national advertising. "We're kind of moving into uncharted territory," said Wentworth. "We don't really know how high up can be."

The co-op plans three weeklong promotions in the spring and one more in the fall. The sales events will begin with a national print campaign in the Sunday papers, and national television advertising airing Tuesday through Friday. The idea is to let the awareness build through the week.

"Its a major departure: creating a sense of urgency right now to come in," said Wentworth. "We picked three weeks in the spring that are our highest-traffic retail weeks. It will be a very exciting spring for us."

It will also be a spring where customers are looking for value, whether they be at the bottom end of the economic spectrum, or the top. The star attractions will be best-selling merchandise deeply discounted to about the half-off level, she said.

In the past, the company's advertising has focused on building the brand. The spring campaign will continue those themes with inclusion of the "Start Right. Start Here." slogan. They will also include the message of in-store expertise and customer relationships. But the twist is the item and pricing information nationwide.

"We thought 2009 was the right time to add an element of promotion into our brand-building campaign," Wentworth said.

The co-op is also stepping up its distribution of coupons through mass media magazines. Last year, True Value distributed 60 million coupons promising $5 off a $25 purchase. This year the company plans to distribute a full 100 million of the "$5-off-$25" coupons.

"All of us feel it's time to be aggressive," Wentworth said. "You have to continue to invest in the long term and build the brand. This is the kind of year where you have to do things kind of differently."

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