Retailers take load off newly jobless
By Bruce Horovitz
USA Today
The recession has given the marketing world a twist: ads that boast about helping the newly unemployed.
Some of the nation's savviest marketers also have figured out that the best way to get folks who fear job loss to spend money is to promise them a rebate, refund or special deal if they are laid off shortly after the purchase.
"Altruism marketing is a powerful way to say, 'We care,' " says Michael Silverstein, senior vice president at Boston Consulting Group. "I expect to see a lot more of it over the next 90 days."
Today, Walgreens will unveil an offer that promises customers of the drug chain's in-store healthcare clinics free family services for the rest of 2009 if they lose their jobs. It's limited to stuff such as colds, earaches and allergies, not major health issues. "We're doing it because it's the right thing to do," says Hal Rosenbluth, president of Walgreens Health and Wellness division.
Walgreens is just the latest retailer to offer special deals to the jobless. Who else is doing it:
AutoNation, the giant car retailer, just rolled out a program that will make car payments for up to six months for car buyers who lose their jobs.
