• by Larissa Faw , September 22, 2015

Last year, Rite Aid pharmacies administered a company record 3.2 million flu shots. For this upcoming season, the drug chain wants to do even better.

It is expanding its focus towards a new audience: HR Directors.

Developed by Rite Aid's agency Marc USA, the new marketing campaign is designed around the insight that it’s important to protect yourself from the flu — because others may not protect themselves — and that Rite Aid gives you more tools to protect yourself with flu shots in store and at the workplace.

“We focused on the fact that you are really taking charge of your own wellness by protecting yourself from all the other people who don’t get flu shots," says Bryan Hadlock, MARC USA Chief Creative Officer. "We used the office environment because it would resonate with so many people quickly and was equally compelling to both consumers and workplace decision makers.” 

The initiative includes 15- and 30-second TV spots that show a sneezing, wheezing employee blowing out his birthday candles at an office celebration. Co-workers cringe as he tries to pass out pieces of cake. Even an office mate in an “I love cake”T-shirt is disgusted by him as words across the screen say that 63% of co-workers don’t get a flu shot. 

One of the ads can be seen here. 

The campaign runs across radio, print, digital and in-store with calls-to-action that say “Get your flu shot – 65% say they would fly with the flu” and “Get your flu shot – 33% don’t wash their hands after sneezing.”  

The B2B program also includes an ambassador program that brings Rite Aid to local companies to administer flu shots on-site. “We believe there’s great opportunity to continue to grow this service, and we’re making it easier than ever for employee benefits managers and HR staff  to set up clinics and get the word out to their employees," says Rite Aid SVP of marketing John Learish. 

“Our goal is for the relationship between the patient and Rite Aid immunizing pharmacist begun at the workplace flu clinic to be carried through to the store for additional immunizations and other pharmacy needs. It’s a great way to help make Rite Aid their retail health care destination.”

This campaign is joined by a consumer-facing effort designed to reach busy working moms and active baby boomers with a media strategy including a mix of morning news, network and national cable, radio, in-store and digital including an extensive email program.