David Livingston

'Mr. Employer, I'm Ready for My Close-up'

March 17, 2010

FROM RETAILWIRE:
Retail executives are always saying that store-level employees are their most important asset. Now, chains are taking the importance of workers one step further by featuring them in television commercials and other customer-facing communications. Is the use of employees in ads any more or less effective than other creative approaches?      [more...]

Walmart seems to use employees quite a bit in their ads. I think mostly because they are too cheap to hire models. I'm not so sure if using employees is any more beneficial than using actors portraying employees. Often when watching a TV commercial for a retailer, I ask myself how come when I go to the store I don't see good looking people like this? We have to be realistic. A retailer is not going to show the stereotypical downtrodden, unfit, retail employee in their ads.