Dr Pepper targets a digital promo to Walmart’s customers
Source: Dr Pepper

Dr Pepper targets a digital promo to Walmart’s customers

Through a special arrangement, presented here for discussion is a summary of a current article from the monthly e-zine, CPGmatters.

This summer at Walmart stores, thirsty soft drink shoppers had a chance to take part in a unique digitally-powered promotion for Dr Pepper. Participants visited a microsite online, uploaded their receipts and earned rewards such as a Dr Pepper-branded pool float.

“To succeed in a noisy, overcrowded space demands multichannel, mobile-focused campaigns that allow consumers to interact with brands anytime, anywhere,” Robert Stone, Sr., director of integrated and emerging media at Dr Pepper Snapple Group, told CPGmatters. “This constant access, across all digital marketing touch points, bolsters relationships and allows for more thoughtful, immersive experiences.”

In its account specific effort with Walmart, Dr Pepper invited shoppers in the store to unlock a virtual, custom bottle with a unique “Pick Your Pepper, Bring on Summer” label — one for every dollar spent. Custom bottles could also be unlocked if the campaign was shared and a friend joined.

Once a consumer unlocked five bottles, the prizes kicked in: An inflatable drink holder for five bottles; a $5 Walmart eGift card for 10; a Dr Pepper six-pack cooler for 20; and a Dr Pepper pool float for 40.

The collaboration, Mr. Stone said, “leveraged an engaging and unique approach to attract and interact with consumers in the digital space while also driving sales in the store.”

Dr Pepper Snapple Group across its brands aims its digital marketing at varying generational demographics, Mr. Stone said. “Our focus is on identifying the purchase and usage occasions for our brands and crafting our brand communications accordingly.” Rather than be guided by “consumer demographics,” the company’s digital marketing “is guided more by the identified usage occasions that are unique to each” group of consumers.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group has also become “more sophisticated” as it has rolled out such digital efforts. Said Mr. Stone, “We’re adapting to changes in this world as they come, leveraging advancements in ad tracking and audience creation and new methods of delivering messages to shoppers. As the space matures, we’re also looking at different metrics than we were earlier in our digital lives, such as viewability and cross-platform performance.”

BrainTrust

"Gamification isn’t new but if it cuts through the clutter and drives traffic it is a winner."

Robert DiPietro

SVP Energy Services and New Ventures, HomeServe


"The program that Dr. Pepper put together was successful, and I congratulate the team for their creativity."

Art Suriano

Chief Executive Officer, The TSi Company


"It seems like a lot of effort to “unlock” five bottles for a Dr Pepper-branded pool float."

Dave Bruno

Director, Retail Market Insights, Aptos


Discussion Questions

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Do you expect online gamification to become a major or niche marketing tool for brands and retailers? Does a promotion such as Dr Pepper’s work as a “win, win, win” for Walmart, Dr Pepper and the beverage category?

Poll

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Art Suriano
Member
6 years ago

Gamification has been around a while, and it’s another clever way to attract customers and generate sales. I don’t see this as a significant marketing shift but more of another method to try — one that will have a large amount of success for some and limited to no success for others. There is SO much of everything today, and the customer’s attention span keeps getting shorter and shorter so if we don’t grab them within two or three seconds they move on. The program that Dr. Pepper put together was successful, and I congratulate the team for their creativity. It’s always a win-win when you generate sales and store traffic.

Robert DiPietro
Robert DiPietro
6 years ago

Gamification isn’t new but if it cuts through the clutter and drives traffic it is a winner. I’ll be on the lookout for the swag but haven’t seen any yet. I wonder how many customers actually engaged?

Dave Bruno
Active Member
6 years ago

While engagement is, in theory, a good thing, I am not sure the rewards to the consumer balance out the costs. It seems like a lot of effort to “unlock” five bottles for a Dr Pepper-branded pool float. I believe that the benefits of any engagement strategy should always be weighted heavily toward the shopper, and this promotion feels significantly less than high-value to the shopper.

Michael La Kier
Member
6 years ago

“Gamificiation” is a new term to describe a long-term strategy in the beverage (and other) industries: consumer promotions. Combining mobile/digital tools with consumer insights and behavioral economics allows more science and technology into the mix. While this is not for all brands or for all consumers, it is certainly a viable option to engage and understand the benefit of an initiative.

Sterling Hawkins
Member
6 years ago

It’s all about the value exchange with the consumer. While this seems like a fun promotion, gamification can land as gimmicky if not positioned correctly or if it fails to actually deliver value. It should be another arrow in the quiver of brand marketers, not a focus.