Wal-Mart trying for a fresh start on their emotional connection

A good strategy is only good as long as it works. So I applaud Wal-Mart for their attempt to change their plan to stay on top.

Back-to-school is upon us, and the retail giant has taken this as an opportunity to unleash its new brand of advertising. This new campaign can be best described using one of our tools -- A2U®.

Awareness is making sure you keep clear what you want your audience to know. And it’s well ingrained that Wal-Mart fits the lifestyle of their customers – the lowest prices, always.

But Attitude is all about keeping clear what you want your audience to feel. In the case of Wal-Mart’s new campaign, they want to now make more of an emotional connection with the audience in the form of testimonial-style actor-customers.

Usage is about changing behavior. And this is where Wal-Mart makes the biggest leap, by trying to gain more affluent customers by linking themselves to big-name brands. Wal-Mart has always sold big-name brands, but this is the first time they are using those brands to attract customers.

Branding and communication go hand in hand. Wal-Mart has what is proven to be a very profitable plan - the products you want at the right price. So, now they need to communicate that they can put the brands and feelings where their smiley-face is.