<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
	<channel>
		<title>Walmart's Cost-Supplement Initiative: Retailer Becomes Ad Agency</title>
		<description>Discuss Walmart's Cost-Supplement Initiative: Retailer Becomes Ad Agency</description>
		<link>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/728-walmart-s-cost-supplement-initiative-retailer-becomes-ad-agency</link>
		<lastBuildDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:42:56 +0000</lastBuildDate>
		<generator>JComments</generator>
		<atom:link href="https://www.wirespring.com/component/jcomments/feed/com_content/728" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
		<item>
			<title>Laura Davis says:</title>
			<link>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/728-walmart-s-cost-supplement-initiative-retailer-becomes-ad-agency#comment-1033</link>
			<description><![CDATA[One would certainly think so Bill!!!]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Laura Davis</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:14:03 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/728-walmart-s-cost-supplement-initiative-retailer-becomes-ad-agency#comment-1033</guid>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title>Bill Gerba says:</title>
			<link>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/728-walmart-s-cost-supplement-initiative-retailer-becomes-ad-agency#comment-1032</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Hi Laura,
Thanks as always for the kind words and insightful commentary. I think that there must be some tipping point -- some amount of money, most likely -- that upon being spent will send the traditional agencies into a frenzy. Can Walmart by itself reach that point? Maybe. They're talking about hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars (assuming that the vendors play ball of course).
The other critical think that Walmart brings to the table is a distinct understanding that in-store media isn't the same as traditional media. So if they have to make their own agency or in-house organization to handle such media sales, that ought to be a huge shot across the bow of old-school agencies who continue to not 'get it,' right?]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Bill Gerba</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:46:41 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/728-walmart-s-cost-supplement-initiative-retailer-becomes-ad-agency#comment-1032</guid>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title>Laura Davis-Taylor says:</title>
			<link>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/728-walmart-s-cost-supplement-initiative-retailer-becomes-ad-agency#comment-1031</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Bill, utterly fantastic overview of the issues and your questions are very compelling (of course!) :)
My hope is that this might FINALLY make the agencies take notice. But, this arm twisting 'do-it-or-else' tactic that Wal-Mart is taking here is deplorable. Seriously, they caused enough ill will when they did this with their digital signage sponsorships and now this? An obvious question is that if they are capable of doing this service better than most major agencies, then why are they forcing vendors to participate? It's not good for anyone and as I do agree that Wal-Mart is a unique retail entity, they have for years spawned copycat strategies. And, regardless of the store size, any retailer can demand a 'participate or get out of my store' ultimatum--although I shudder to think of it.
As you know, I've preached to agencies for years on how critical it is understand the retail store as part of the overarching marketing plan; I still constantly bang my head on the wall over their responses. They either totally ignore it or they come into it armed with oodles of traditional media dogma and no realization (or respect for) how much is to be learned about the store before you take on marketing strategy for reaching people in it. I had one major firm say right to my face that 'there isn't enough money in it to care'.
That might be about to change, eh?!!]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Laura Davis-Taylor</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Sat, 25 Jul 2009 12:35:45 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/728-walmart-s-cost-supplement-initiative-retailer-becomes-ad-agency#comment-1031</guid>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title>Bill Gerba says:</title>
			<link>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/728-walmart-s-cost-supplement-initiative-retailer-becomes-ad-agency#comment-1030</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Well, the needs of the retail environment are somewhat unique (even compared to something like mixed-use), so I don't think there will be a 1:1 correlation between this kind of activity in retail and a similar kind of activity elsewhere.
Now, that having been said, I think the writing is on the wall for those agencies who **aren't** getting involved in DOOH projects in any meaningful way. Many so-called "full service" agencies still focus the vast majority of their attention on TV, print and the Internet, but "new" alternative channels like marketing at-retail will have to occupy a much bigger place in their minds if companies like P&G are truly forced to throw down hundreds of millions -- if not billions.]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Bill Gerba</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:07:36 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/728-walmart-s-cost-supplement-initiative-retailer-becomes-ad-agency#comment-1030</guid>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title>Kansa Bob says:</title>
			<link>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/728-walmart-s-cost-supplement-initiative-retailer-becomes-ad-agency#comment-1029</link>
			<description><![CDATA[How do you think this will effect other out of home tv networks. Will it be instore only or is it going out of the stores into other venues?]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Kansa Bob</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:33:07 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/728-walmart-s-cost-supplement-initiative-retailer-becomes-ad-agency#comment-1029</guid>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title>Bill Gerba says:</title>
			<link>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/728-walmart-s-cost-supplement-initiative-retailer-becomes-ad-agency#comment-1028</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Excellent point, Dave.
As a number of people interviewed for that AdAge article noted, Walmart's actually being somewhat **less** aggressive than some other (smaller) retailers when it comes to getting vendors onboard with more significant trade promotion budgets, so while it's not quite a bottom-up event, there are smaller retailers at work at similar programs already.
I personally think that retail agencies will pop up because retailers who don't necessarily have the scale to do it themselves but still want the performance benefits of such a program (and presumably can pass those benefits along to the suppliers/vendors) will need help.]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Bill Gerba</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:27:18 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/728-walmart-s-cost-supplement-initiative-retailer-becomes-ad-agency#comment-1028</guid>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title>Dave Haynes says:</title>
			<link>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/728-walmart-s-cost-supplement-initiative-retailer-becomes-ad-agency#comment-1027</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Great insight, as always.
The only point I can add is that there is Walmart, and then everybody else. What happens with the world's biggest retailer when it comes to brands and trade or media dollars does NOT necessarily extend to the rest of the retail world.
Lotsa people think what happens there can be replicated on a smaller scale, but the dynamics are very different.]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Dave Haynes</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:17:03 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>https://www.wirespring.com/30-legacy-blog-digital-signage-insider/728-walmart-s-cost-supplement-initiative-retailer-becomes-ad-agency#comment-1027</guid>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
