Saatchi X to work on Wal-Mart TV

According to this release at mediapost, Saatchi & Saatchis' Wal-Mart division, Saatchi X, has been named the agency of record for Wal-Mart's in store media programs. The article notes:

In this role, the Publicis unit will direct the array of in-store media Wal-mart uses to reach its shoppers, and will also handle corporate communications with Wal-Mart's 1.3 million salespeople or "associates."

The Wal-mart account is a major gain for Saatchi & Saatchi, giving it broad responsibilities at Wal-mart's 3,900 stores--including programming on its in-store TV network, operated by Premiere Retail Networks. It will also be responsible for Wal-mart's signage systems and events.

While the agency has worked with Wal-Mart in a similar capacity since 1999, this is the first time the retailer has named an AoR for in-store media, which marks (in my opinion) an important shift in perception regarding how in-store advertising plays into a firm's overall advertising stragegy. Of course, Wal-Mart has said in the past that in-store media is the most important channel, so it's not surprising to see them back up their statements with this action.

While there's no exact word on what kind of changes (if any) Saatchi X is planning to make to the in-store TV network, it appears that they will be able to work with PRN on certain aspects of the programming.

Tags: digital signage, in-store TV