Walmart Getting Serious About Marketing

By Greenhouse Grower staff|June 9, 2009

Walmart has arguably been the retailer the recession has rewarded most, and in an article this week on AdAge.com, one Walmart executive shed light on how the company positioned itself in the market over the last couple years.

Chief Marketing Officer Stephen Quinn says Walmart has invested heavily in market research over the last few years. He says Walmart polls more than 1 million customers monthly. At the same time, the company has invested in marketing talent to strategically position Walmart during a recession and beyond.

“I’m proud of the story here,” Quinn says, “because I think it’s showing how marketing is making a really big difference to a company that maybe didn’t take it as seriously as they do today. I think marketing is at the forefront of championing the customer internally and doing something about it.”

Based on research and other factors, Walmart developed the “Save money. Live better” campaign from the Martin Agency in Richmond, Va. Walmart has also chose to invest more in a marketing message because the U.S. division is seeing rapid deceleration of store expansion.

“While it’s very exciting to be opening new stores and building your base out that way, [expansion] clearly is the kind of game where there has to be some natural plateauing,” Quinn says.