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Pierce's Walmart Wellness Center Program Wins Event Marketer's 2009 Ex Award for Best Retailtainment Campaign

Posted on: Wednesday, 29 April 2009, 15:55 CDT

PORTLAND, Maine, April 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Pierce received top honors at Event Marketer's 2009 Experiential Marketing Summit in the category of Best Retailtainment Campaign for their Walmart Wellness Center Program. Launched in 2002, the Ex Awards have become the event industry's most prestigious honor, the only global awards program dedicated entirely to live marketing and the only marketing recognition effort in the world judged solely by brand-side marketers. Winners across all 30 categories were named on April 27, 2009, in Chicago at the annual Ex Awards gala.

Pierce partnered with Walmart and its suppliers to make Walmart stores a destination for Health and Wellness. To help position Walmart as the Health and Wellness leader, and to drive sales of sponsor product through merchandising and demonstration, Pierce created the Walmart Wellness Center. This comprehensive, interactive program delivered health and wellness information to consumers live in-store and online.

For six consecutive weeks starting in October 2008, in-store events took place in 1,000 Walmart Supercenters each Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Each week the events delivered health information focused around one of Walmart's seven priority conditions: Diabetes, Heart Health, Healthy Breathing, Pain and Mobility, Women's Health, Cold and Flu, and Gastrointestinal Conditions. Each event was sponsored by one pharmaceutical (RX) drug brand and two Over-the-Counter (OTC) products. Wellness Ambassadors executed the event with a bold Wellness Center kiosk branded with sponsor logos. A Wellness Flyer provided information on that week's condition, with brand sponsor logos included. A dedicated 4-way display merchandised the sponsors' products for 30 days as well as RX literature and Wellness Flyers. Lastly, the entire program was also featured on Walmart.com, where each week consumers could learn about various conditions.

The 2008 program featured eleven sponsors that executed over 12,000 events in Walmart stores. The program had successful results with over 900,000 personal interactions with consumers at the Wellness Center, and over 20,000,000 impressions. Multiple Wellness Center participants not only revealed incremental sales occurred during the events, but also well beyond the Wellness promotional period -- in some cases netting lifts over 440% the pre-program baseline.

The Walmart Wellness Center is currently in its second phase of execution in Walmart stores now, with a third phase launching later this spring.

"We are extremely proud to be recognized for the Wellness Center and thankful to our partnership with Walmart and its suppliers. We hope to continue this partnership through successful Wellness Center programs for years to come," said Bob Martin, President of Pierce.

Ranked among PROMO's top 100 marketing agencies, Pierce has been recognized with numerous industry awards including several Event Design Awards, and 14 EX Awards since 2003, including the Grand Ex in 2006.

About Pierce: Pierce is a top-ranked, full-service marketing agency specializing in experiential, retail and promotional solutions. Pierce brings stunning reality to experience unlimited(R) -- the philosophy that every brand has an experience within it and every consumer has an experience to share. Founded and headquartered in Portland, Maine, Pierce has grown its client roster to include leading corporations such as Kraft Foods, Verizon Communications, Procter & Gamble, Discovery Communications, TD Banknorth, Diageo, Scotts, SAM'S CLUB and Del Monte. Pierce is fully-owned by Omnicom Group, Inc., and part of the Radiate Group of agencies, 25 best-in-class marketing services agencies. It has regional offices in New York, Washington DC, Chicago, and Bentonville. Creators of strategic brand experiences since 1990. For more information, visit www.piercepromotions.com.

SOURCE Pierce

Source: PR Newswire

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