Wal-Mart gets trendy
Have you noticed that Wal-Mart’s apparel advertising has gotten much more, well, with the times? It’s no coincidence, says president/CEO Mario Pilozzi. In fact, it is part of the retailer’s strategy to reach out to increasingly fashion-hungry consumers with new marketing, a new retail presentation, and new categories within the clothing mix.
“The trend now is to be more relevant, and trendier, so the marketing overall has to reflect that,” he explains. “If you walk into most of our stores, the visual merchandising is different. We are trying to merchandise more of a co-ordinated look, rather than one item for a price. So as our merchandising strategy changes, the marketing strategy has to follow.”
To that end, Wal-Mart held a fashion show in downtown Toronto at the end of September to showcase the designs of its U.K.-conceived, “cheap chic” George label. Co-ordinated by an international group of Wal-Mart employees (including Canadian and U.K. fashion and marketing teams), with external assistance from Toronto-based public relations firm National and a team of fashion-show professionals, the event drew hundreds of spectators who gathered to watch 22 models strut their stuff, including Canada’s Next Top Model Andrea Muizelaar.
The show was one component in a national “It’s all about style” campaign for George, which includes print ads in fashion and lifestyle pubs, with images ranging from high-fashion creative to models dressed in everyday garb accompanied by advertorial copy featuring a “London Style Report.” Meanwhile, new billboard ads in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver launched on Oct. 2.
Adds Pilozzi: “Our brands are becoming more defined, and the customer is starting to see more of what they’re looking for [at Wal-Mart].”