Huggies Sets Up Shop at Babies‘R’Us

Neenah, Wis. — Expectant parents spend substantial time researching and choosing car seats and strollers for their newborns, but when it comes to diapers – an item that touches a baby’s skin 24/7 – the purchase decision isn’t determined until after baby arrives, according to research by Kimberly-Clark.To put diapers on the radar earlier, K-C’s Huggies brand created a “How Will You Greet Your Baby” brand shop within the Babies“R”Us location in New York City’s Union Square. The program runs from June through August and again from November to January. It marks the first time the brand has teamed with this location.The location was chosen because of the New York City-area birth rate, which is one of the top three in the country, and because it had space for the brand shop. “It’s designed to stop shoppers in their tracks when they enter Babies‘R’Us and engage them with the brand and our products,” says Amie Wentz, Huggies brand manager, noting that the in-store execution is directly tied to the brand’s national program.Aimed at expectant parents as well as those giving gifts to the moms- and dads-to-be, the shop (designed by Wild Blue Technologies, De Pere, Wisconsin) includes a feature wall to the right of the entrance and an alcove display to the left. Dedicated iPads connect shoppers to baby-care information (much of which is provided by the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses) on the “mommy answers” section of Huggies.com. A video screen airs Huggies TV spots that feature real, emotional letters written by parents to their unborn children. “That stopping power makes expecting parents think about all the things they should do before baby is born,” Wentz says.On weekends, Huggies brand ambassadors greet shoppers, encourage the addition of diapers as a registry item and help carry customers’ products. They also educate guests about Huggies and allow shoppers to touch the diapers – something that is not typical in stores, Wentz explains. “We handmake every micro preemie diaper that leaves our production facility because we know that a preemie’s skin is thinner than a strand of hair and protecting their skin is our utmost goal,” she says. “It’s these little nuances that can’t effectively be communicated just on packaging.” Lake Success, New York-based radio station WKTU-FM and DJ Carolina Bermudez kicked off the shop in June with an onsite remote broadcast, during which more than $5,000 in prizes and Babies“R”Us gift cards were given away.Radio and social media is being used to drive shoppers to the store and promote the offer of a free wipes carrier to anyone who creates a registry at the Union Square store. Morning DJs are discussing “Huggies experiences” on the air, including how Little Movers fit their baby. Social media partners include expectant dad and WCBS-TV anchor Chris Wragge as well as bloggers Big City Moms, 3CityGirlsNYC and The Mama Maven.The brand worked with Ogilvy, Chicago, on creative and digital, and Mindshare, Chicago, on media buying and partnerships.Net sales will be important to the program’s success, but Wentz says they are also looking to see an increase in baby registry and an uptick in their social channels. “We don’t want to just sell product,” she says. “We want [the] Huggies brand to become a trusted source of information for expecting parents.”

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