Give a Shot. Get a Shot. (Walgreens and United Nations Foundation)
As the first pharmacy in the United States to offer flu shots to the public, Walgreens is now the largest U.S. distributor of the vaccine outside the federal government. After experiencing the most severe flu season in more than a decade in 2012-2013, Walgreens aligned with healthcare officials and recommended that individuals get their flu vaccinations earlier.
Partnering with the United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life program to drive flu shot volume early in the year and give consumers a reason to choose their pharmacy, Walgreens created the “Get a Shot. Give a Shot.” campaign. Running from September 3 – October 14, 2013, for every flu shot (or other immunization) administered in store, Walgreens donated the value of a life-saving vaccine, including measles and polio, to children in developing countries.
To get the word out, the campaign was broadcast via national TV and radio advertising, while digital advertising and social media aimed to deepen connections and immediacy of the message through storytelling and program details.
PR and events also played an integral role in the campaign’s success, including celebrity spokesperson Amanda Peet’s (actress, mother and vaccine activist) high-profile event at the Walgreens NYC flagship store where she received her flu shot.
As a result, immunizations administered during the campaign period were 118% to goal and customers’ flu shot behavior successfully shifted to earlier in season, with more than a 40% increase in flu shots administered in September. As a result, three million lifesaving vaccines were delivered to children in developing countries.
In addition, the campaign helped drive a 43% increase in traffic to the Walgreens Immunizations landing page over the previous year and the Shot@Life landing page increased 400% compared to priority pharmacy programs running within the same time period.
