Dive Brief:
- Kroger’s healthcare arm, Kroger Health, has launched a brand campaign highlighting the different wellness services available to customers at the grocery chain’s stores, according to a press release late last week.
- Called "A World of Care is In-Store," the campaign uses streaming video and radio commercials, social media posts and in-store signage to educate people about the services, including registered dietitians, pharmacists and nurse practitioners, at Kroger pharmacies and clinics.
- The campaign comes at a time when Kroger Health is seeking to promote its food-as-medicine work and in-house wellness professionals as solutions to a fragmented U.S. healthcare system.
Dive Insight:
With the new campaign, Kroger is looking to spotlight the convenience and credibility of its healthcare services.
"[The campaign] highlights that Kroger Health is no farther away than our neighborhood grocery store,” Kroger Health President Colleen Lindholz said in the announcement. “We sit at the nexus of food and pharmacy, which uniquely positions Kroger Health to improve outcomes through simplified health, wellness and nutrition solutions.”
The brand campaign announcement noted that Kroger Health administered more than 12 million COVID-19 vaccines across 35 states during the last two years.
“Find a world of 24,000 healthcare professionals in-store and online. Connect with registered dietitians and licensed pharmacists caring for more than 17 million patients. It’s all here. A world of care is in-store,” one Kroger video says.
Kroger’s 226 The Little Clinic locations offer diagnostic treatment, ongoing health management, wellness visits, preventative care and other services.
"By offering a variety of services, we aim to transform how quality and comprehensive health care is delivered," said Marc Watkins, MD, chief medical officer of Kroger Health. "This campaign demonstrates Kroger Health's commitment to ensuring health services are accessible and are available for customers where they are."
The marketing push comes as retailers like Walmart and Dollar General have invested in healthcare services. Dollar General hired its first chief medical officer in 2021 and announced last year that it created a healthcare advisory panel, and has said it aims to provide healthcare services for rural communities.
Kroger isn’t the only grocer broadcasting its health-focused offerings. Amigos, a Texas grocery chain operated by The United Family, hosted a health fair last Saturday at its stores, where it offered glucose and cholesterol checks along with samples of its in-house dietitians’ top food picks.
