Staples.com Launches Marketing Effort Targeting Small Businesses

Staples.com is kicking off a wide-ranging marketing campaign targeted at small businesses, introducing a new tagline — “Hey, You Don’t Have to Run Out.”

The campaign, the spending for which was not disclosed, will start on February 21 with a 30-second national television spot. Next will come a national radio spot, print advertising in national small-business publications, online advertising on major small-business Web sites, outdoor, direct mail and guerilla marketing.

The TV spot, which runs through April nationally and locally, highlights one of Staples.com’s features — automatic email reminders. In it, a harried small-business owner uses the service to make sure he doesn’t run out of office supplies. But, since he only has a string around his finger to remind him, he forgets his own wedding, leaving his bride at the altar.

The campaign was created by Staples’ in-house agency in cooperation with Cliff Freeman. Placements will be handled by Agency.com‘s i-traffic unit, and Eisnor Interactive will execute the guerilla marketing elements.

“The key to building a successful dot-com brand begins with knowing your customer, utilizing highly targeted marketing vehicles, integrating your message cohesively across all channels and executing against a well-thought-out investment strategy,” says Kelly Mahoney, chief marketing officer for Staples.com.