Sam's Club Launches Media Review
- by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, November 3, 2022
Sam's Club, part of Walmart, has launched a review of its media agency account.
In the U.S. Sam’s Club spent an estimated $36 million on measured media last year, according to agency research firm COMvergence. About $13 million of that
total was earmarked for offline media and $23 million for online channels.
A Sam's Club spokesperson issued a statement: "We continue to push forward to be a best-in-class
marketing organization. We know agencies play a big role in that. As our terms end, we’re evaluating our agency support against the evolving needs of our business and to ensure these decisions
best serve our members."
Early last year, Sam's Club appointed VMLY&R as its first agency of record. The agency was tasked with leading the development of a new brand
platform, creative, and omnichannel strategy.
Sam's Club generates about $60 billion a year in revenue.
advertisement
advertisement
I now live much of the year in Bloomington Indiana, home of Indiana University. While I was bummed to find no Costco here, it's good that we have Sam's Club, which is an obvious Costco knock-off. (In fact, a former Walmart CEO told me that's exactly what it is. Also that it can't compete with Costco, so only goes to towns where Costcos are absent.)
It's actually a good store. I go there often. Self-check-out is good. Prices are, of course, very good. Gas at its station is also the cheapest in town. (It's like Costco that way.)
So three things seem strange to me about this review. One is why advertise at all? Seriously. Costco doesn't. And, like Costco, Sam's Club is in a seller's market. They do a good job. Everybody in town knows what the store is and how it works. The other is that they don't have enough people. Often when I go there the food counter is closed because they can't staff it all day, if at all. Not very good PR there.
Anyway, good luck to the company, and to the agency that gets the account.
Doc, I have been a Sam's Club member over 30 years. The store I shop in the Tulsa store which was one of the first in the country. With Sam's Club going online, their product line expands. There are some items that you can buy online that you cannot in the store. There is still the overhang problem with inventory for all stories. Second, you can shop online and pick the order up which the popularity is going up.