Hungry Heart
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of American women. That sobering statistic is not lost on Kellogg Co.
Some 5 million boxes of the cereal giant’s Smart Start brand since last summer have urged consumers to mail in for a cholesterol test and wellness kit, which also offers information about the cereal and a $10 rebate for a blood pressure monitor.
So far, about 11,500 of the premium recipients subsequently paid a $10 lab fee for their blood samples to be processed and have received the test results.
“We found if you deliver a really meaningful health and wellness value to consumers, they take action,” says Brian Levy, vice president of strategy and corporate development for Pulse Health & Wellness Initiatives, the firm that’s handling the Kellogg’s program.
An online promotion giving two free kits to people who spend $15 or more on Smart Start cereal at www.Amazon.com ends mid-April.
Kellogg’s partnered with Biosafe Laboratories and Omron Healthcare to develop the kit, of which some 350,000 were made for the campaign. The kit includes a finger prick to collect the blood sample and a bandage.
“Consumers need a lot of help navigating through the health and wellness landscape,” Levy says. “The kits seemed to be an ideal way to connect those things, create teachable touch points and really spur consumer action.”
About 20 retailers, including Supervalu, Jewel-Osco, Food Lion and Albertsons, participated in the promotion with some in-store displays. Customers who bought three boxes of Smart Start cereal or bars received a free kit.
Kellogg is one of several companies tapping into health and wellness marketing. Pulse has worked with other firms including Unilever, Nestlé, Kashi, Merck and Pfizer, to run in-store promotions and healthcare professional programs.
