Smart Business: Making UCare to Buy J&J Products

By Jill Steele, July 30, 2007 — I can just imagine it on YouTube: Cute little Girl Scouts, loaded wagon in tow, approaching their elderly neighbors to push not Thin Mints or Shortbreads, but instead whipping out samples of Motrin, BenGay and Mylanta.

It’s not quite what’s behind a new Johnson & Johnson marketing strategy, but not too far off the mark. No spoof: J&J’s initiative, designed to let churches, charities and non-profits like the Girl Scouts to sell its products as a fundraiser, is a pretty smart move.

Called UCare, it allows J&J to get more products into the hands of consumers and for organizations to raise funds with products that people really need. And no, they don't have to carry stuff door to door – it’s all done easily online.

The marketer in me applauds the strategy as it allows J&J to harness the power of a network to reach more consumers and get them to buy its brands. Since the products will be delivered directly to the consumer, it also creates a new customer touchpoint. With the delivery, J&J could include promotional materials about new products, a free sample, or a special code to access more deals or information online. It also arms J&J with rich data on purchasing habits and product usage.

With this test strategy, J&J has created a new brand, Ucare – the J&J brand is nowhere to be found on its Web site. This limits the risk, but at the same time provides enough flexibility to link the two brands in the future.

The parent in me also likes the idea: A break from more wrapping paper, chocolate and magazine subscriptions! UCare offers everything from Purell to Visine to Tylenol to Band-Aids – all products families truly need on a regular basis. It also encourages the purchase of brand name products versus private-label knock offs. And it makes me view J&J as a business that really cares and is interested in helping the community.

The word’s just getting out, and I’ve not yet seen any YouTube play…which, as I think about it, is an idea J&J is welcome to borrow as a great promotional tactic.