Magazine does nice content and brand extension into store aisles

December 2, 2008 by Dave Haynes

Bill Gerba already flagged this, but it also caught my eye and thought I would weigh in because it at least seems quite clever.

The magazine Every Day with Rachael Ray (for guys muttering “Who?”, a frighteningly perky celebrity chef turned talk show host turned Oprah Lite) has done a deal to extend its brand anc ontent into screens in Albertson’s stores, via CBS Outernet.

As reported in MediaWeek:

For two clients, Kraft and the Almond Board, the magazine created 30-second vignettes featuring Rachael Ray pals who prominently showcase the products. In one, restaurateur Nikki Cascone will use Kraft products like Nilla Wafers and Cool Whip to make tiramisu, while in another, nutritionist Stacey Antine will concoct an almond treat for the holidays. The vignettes will end with a shot of the magazine cover and the tagline, “Brought to you by Every Day with Rachael Ray.” They’ll air for one week in December in the produce aisles of Albertsons stores across the country. 

A representative for CBS Outernet, which is selling the inventory to Every Day with Rachael Ray, confirmed that while other media outlets have created content that has run on the network, this deal marks the first time a magazine has done so. For Kraft, the vignette provided “an additional way to tap into the Rachael Ray brand and build integrated messaging in very relevant traffic areas,” said Robin Steinberg, senior vp, director of print investment and activation at Kraft’s agency, Mediavest.

This is nice for a couple of reasons – the deal is integrated with a print buy (at a time when almost all magazines are struggling) and the content at least appears to be tuned to the medium.

As noted in the past, efforts to just shovel content from broadcast to grocery aisles have been rather pointless, but a targeted, tight spot that shows a shopper how to whip up a quick dessert with stuff that’s on shelves in the immediate vicinity can actually help those shoppers and drive sales for the grocers and brands.

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