Wal-Mart’s ‘Great’ Recession Branding Move

Wal-Mart recently unvelied some marketing genius to make money in a troubled economic time.

Walking up to the breakfast table not long ago I noticed a fresh new look on the table. “Great Value” cereal.

Within a few trips to the grocery store, there were several boxes of Great Value cereal. Then came Great Value chips (which are tastier than Lay’s, by the way).

At some level, I am sure that I knew that this was Wal-Mart’s house brand. But I didn’t think about it.

Instead I did warm to the crisp, clean branding. Here the brand name of the “generic” was features prominently along with a singly, colorful dominant image. There’s ample white space.

In a recession economy, here was Wal-Mart tyring to do the unthinkable with a store brand: call your attention to it.

And that’s about where it remained in my mind. Until yesterday.

With my wife out-of-town at a PTA conference, I took all four kids to the grocery store. After turning down the first aisle, my 11-year-old shot over to a “Great Value” box. And then the next aisle. And the next.

And then the entire shopping trip turned into a giant scavenger hunt for “Great Value.”

And guess what marketing folks? Packaging matters.

In the cheese aisle, the Great Value shreadded cheese still had the old script yellow font with a picture dominating the package.

My daughter wanted none of it. Sure, it said “Great Value.” But it did not say Great Value.

I clearly knew that my kids deep and profound brand loyalties, but I never imagined such a deep attachment could be forged so quickly with a store brand.

Whenever my own brand loyalties overrode Great Value, my daughter was dissapointed. By the time we left the store, I’d probably spent $10 with the Wal-Mart brand that would have gone to a brand leader without her insistence.

Then when we got home she spelled “Great Value” with the refrigerator magnets unprompted.

Well played Wal-Mart. Well played.

Tagged as: brand, Wal-Mart