Publix Greenwise Branding
Shannon Patton--life-long Publix champion shared insight and wisdom into how one of the area's hottest brands keeps it fresh.
First let's start with some history and fast facts about Publix Supermarkets:
George W. Jenkins opened first store in 1930 in Winter Haven
1940 reopened "Food Palace" innovations 1st air conditioned, electronic doors, piped in music, 8 feet wide (VW bug could fit down the aisles)
It is the largest employee-owned supermarket operating in 5 states
140,000 associates
100 best companies to work for since the Forbes list has been around
PIX--13 gas stations
4 Hispanic stores
Owns Crispers
How does Publix generate 23.9 billion dollars in sales?
They go "where customers are"
They start small and take awhile to grow and do this for a reason. It helps ensure that they are putting the right products in the right stores.
Investigating the Greenwise Market brand
How did this happen? 1996 is the first time they had Greenwise products in a store and they multipled across store.
They found that a lot of customers wanted high quality products at a competitve price
Paper products were the first to launch, well technically, Toilet Paper was the first to launch
They have exceeded $1 billion dollars in sales
How did they do it?
Publix made it simple by categorizing it into 3 groups
1. natural
2. organic (USDA)
3. earth-friendly (no chemicals, no negative impact on environment)
They also studied the location where the Greenwise products and sections are physically located within the store AND the type and maturity (awareness and use level) of customers at each store
They found that often they could group the Greenwise products on the same aisle as other products but they put on the products on specialized shelving that stands out
Analyzing the Publix Greenwise Customer
heath conscious (believes in prevention) purchase supplements and vitamins
environmentally conscious (protectors of the earth, purchase recyclable products)
Foodie (trends, experiment high-end products, exotic products)
Opened first stand alone Greenwise Store in 2007 in Palm Beach Florida
Lessons Learned Along the Way
Greenwise customers still purchased conventional items as well!
Educate associates, right people in the right position (knowledgeable and training)
Create the right product mix
Marketing the Brand
billboards
40% read it in the local newspapers
30 second spots after news
radio remotes at every new store
weekly ad and flyer in newspapers
word of mouth
Community efforts are KEY to success. 2-3 times a week, every weekend
In Store Events
Media Opportunities
weekly ad specific to each area (zip code)
Here are two KEYS to Publix success
1. used community contacts to help spread the word. They would send invitation 2 days before where customers could spend $30 in the store.
2. invite media
Future Plans
Combining the best of Greenwise and supermarket.
Not in social media, slowly but surely getting into it.
One last thought, and perhaps, the most important:
The closest Greenwise Store is in Hyde Park, Tampa.