New agency building brands in Walmart parking lots

Crossmark and FLW Outdoors announced a new joint venture called Out Front Marketing and have already signed on Walmart as a client to use the firm’s “Mobile Brand Boxes” to promote Walmart’s USDA Premium Beef program.

A Mobile Brand Box is what the joint venture refers to as an experiential marketing center that can be customized with graphics to match those of a tow vehicle and also incorporate interactive simulators, games and other loyalty and brand building elements. Each unit will be staffed by trained brand ambassadors who will travel with the units year-round.

In the case of the Walmart beef program, the Mobile Brand Box will be used to provide those arriving at their local Walmart stores with free samples of beef freshly cooked on Kingsford charcoal.

“Product demos are a great way to make shopping at Walmart more exciting”, said Jack Sinclair, EVP food for Walmart U.S. “Brands can effectively communicate with Walmart shoppers directly through initiatives like these.”

According to Crossmark president Joe Crafton, shopper marketing programs offer the best return on investment for consumer goods companies.

“The most effective, proven tactics for influencing the shopper on the path to purchase involve word-of-mouth and free samples. Our clients tell us that with today’s on-the-go consumer spending less time watching TV commercials, reaching consumers in a meaningful way has never been more challenging,” Crafton said. “Out Front Marketing is a highly effective way to reach and connect with consumers when they are in shopping mode, and is not funded from the same budget as retail pricing. Therefore, marketers are better able to support Walmart’s commitment to everyday low prices.”

Crossmark’s partner in the joint venture, FLW Outdoors, is best known for organizing fishing tournaments and in the past has conducted activities in Walmart parking lots when a tournament was being held on a nearby body of water.

“Out Front Marketing will be taking proven marketing practices that have been implemented successfully with FLW Outdoors and will showcase products in a new way to create excitement, increase brand engagement and drive greater sales,” said FLW Outdoors chairman and CEO Irwin Jacobs. “We proactively find the shopper instead of waiting for the shopper to find the brand alongside other competitive brands on the shelf.”