FIR co-hosts Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz interview Adam Kmiec, director of social media for Walgreens, the largest drug store chain in the US and a Fortune 50 company.
Walgreens has engaged in the last 10 days or so in a social media-focused effort to build awareness among customers of alternatives to Express Scripts, the prescription benefit manager through which hundreds of thousands of people in the US pay for their prescription medications. Unable to reach an agreement to renew their contract, Walgreens no longer accepts Express Scripts but using mechanisms like Prescription Savings Club membership to retain customers.
The campaign to build awareness and retain customer loyalty has been largely focused on social media, including paid tactics like promoted Twitter trends and sponsored blog posts. In this wide-ranging interview, Kmiec outlines the challenges of the campaign, discusses the importance of statistical insights to drive decision-making, and the use of paid social media, as well as outcomes of the effort to date.
(The Walgreens campaign was covered by Advertising Age and was the subject of a story covered on FIR #634 on January 16. That FIR report was covered by the Best O Pop blog.)
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About our Conversation Partner
For more than 14 years, Walgreens Social Media Director Adam Kmiec has worked for some of the most forward thinking organizations in the world, while helping some of the most dynamic brands find success in the interactive and social space. His career spans both the client and agency sides of the marketing and advertising industry, covering stops at renowned organizations that include Fallon, Leo Burnett, and ConAgra Foods. His focus has always been on solving business problems by leveraging consumer driven insights to fuel creative ideation.
He is a frequent speaker and news contributor. He is currently working on a book titled Yes, It’s Hypocritical due for completion next summer.
Connect with Adam on Twitter @adamkmiec or via other social networks.
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(Cross-posted from For Immediate Release, Shel’s and my podcast blog.)
Robert Fine
