NEW YORK Walgreens has partnered with online video solutions provider One Minute Media to launch a series of one-minute videos aimed at prescription drug users.
Two videos, one with information on Walgreens' prescription drug savings program and the other on discounted pet medication, are now available on One Minute Media’s online platform, Knowitinaminute.com. Advertisers only pay when visitors watch each video. Other brands, such as Zyrtec and Johnson & Johnson, also have placements on the site.
The videos open with a 10-second ad for Walgreens, followed by a companion ad that links to a landing page within the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club site.
The push comes at a time when Walgreens has pledged to devote more attention to its prescription and in-store marketing program. Christine Kubisztal, Walgreens manager of media strategy and services, said the chain is embracing online video advertising as consumers increasingly spend more time on the Web.
“Consumers are viewing information on their own time, selecting what they want and when they want it, which makes the universe very fragmented. We need to make information on our products and services available to consumers so it’s there when they are ready to retrieve it,” Kubisztal said.
Unlike ads for common household items, such as deodorants or shampoos, One Minute Media’s platform closely monitors the clips to avoid reposting on sites such as YouTube or MySpace, said Devery Holmes, CEO of Spark Alliance Marketing, which worked with Walgreens on the launch. She said the strategy is designed to preserve the overall integrity of the videos.
Clips on the site get an average of 10,000 to 15,000 views a month. Site traffic is approximately 1 million views per month.
Andrew Pakula, CEO of One Minute Media, said one of the advantages of utilizing online video ads is its ability to target the right consumers. Pakula did not reveal the platform’s cost, but said it is significantly less expensive than TV advertising.
