Staples.com Launches Marketing Effort Targeting Small Businesses

Staples.com is kicking off a
wide-ranging marketing campaign targeted at small businesses, introducing a
new tagline — “Hey, You Don’t Have to Run Out.”

The campaign, the spending for which was not disclosed, will start on
February 21 with a 30-second national television spot. Next will come a
national radio spot, print advertising in national small-business
publications, online advertising on major small-business Web sites,
outdoor, direct mail and guerilla marketing.

The TV spot, which runs through April nationally and locally, highlights
one of Staples.com’s features —
automatic email reminders. In it, a harried small-business owner uses the
service to make sure he doesn’t run out of office supplies. But, since he
only has a string around his finger to remind him, he forgets his own
wedding, leaving his bride at the altar.

The campaign was created by Staples’ in-house agency in cooperation with Cliff Freeman. Placements will be
handled by Agency.com‘s i-traffic unit, and Eisnor Interactive will execute the
guerilla marketing elements.

“The key to building a successful dot-com brand begins with knowing your
customer, utilizing highly targeted marketing vehicles, integrating your
message cohesively across all channels and executing against a
well-thought-out investment strategy,” says Kelly Mahoney, chief marketing
officer for Staples.com.