Grassroots Back-to-School Program Builds Awareness and Establishes Walgreens as a Smart Choice for Medical Needs in Local Communities

The Challenge

In the growing and highly competitive business of in-store health-care clinics, Walgreens wanted to appeal to moms and dads as a convenient choice for minor urgent care needs in their neighborhood.

The Solution

School Family Media’s Back2School program, which reaches thousands of parents at K-8 schools, enabled Walgreens Take Care Clinics to promote their services and locations as valuable, family-friendly assets within local communities. Additionally, Take Care Clinic nurse practioners were able to engage one-on-one with parents at back-to-school events, when they’re especially interested in minimizing sick days and helping their kids thrive throughout the school year.
• School Family Media reached out to select PTO and PTA groups in 23 markets (identified by Walgreens) and within a 5-mile radius of a Take Care Clinic to host nurse practitioners at back-to-school events.
• Schools were guided through each event, from initial communications and planning to follow-up and survey feedback.
• At each event, families personally interacted with clinic representatives, who answered questions and promoted their services.
• Walgreens’ “Back-to-School Health Basics” pamphlets, branded product samples, and free Take Care Clinic health evaluation coupons were placed right into the hands of parent attendees.

The Results

Schools, PTO and PTA leaders, and school families were overwhelmingly appreciative of Walgreens’ investment of time and resources in school-family community events. A post-event survey confirmed the positive reaction:
• 95% of parents said they’d recommend Take Care Clinics to other parents.
• Following the Back2School event, 57% of families intended to visit a Take Care Clinic for a health issue—a 300% increase over responses received before the event.

Thanks to the Back2School program and School Family Media’s network of PTO and PTA leaders, Walgreens was able to immerse its Take Care Clinic brand and representatives into a relevant and targeted environment, making genuine connections with its most powerful audience.