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Kmart Launches First Stage of Multicultural Campaign

TROY, Mich. - Kmart Corporation is using a new multicultural marketing campaign including radio and television ads to try and fill a niche with African-American and Hispanic shoppers. The program kicked off today with the launch of a nationwide radio campaign.

Currently, multicultural consumers make up 39 percent of the nearly 30 million people who shop at Kmart each week, according to the company. African-Americans and Hispanics alone account for 32 percent of Kmart's shoppers. Nationwide, multicultural consumers possess $1.2 trillion in joint purchasing power at a market segment growth rate seven times faster than the general population, according to Kmart.

"With our exclusive brands, value pricing and our store locations, no mass discount retailer can match Kmart's reach and appeal to the multicultural marketplace," said Steven Feuling, senior vice president of marketing for Kmart Corporation. "We understand the value of these very loyal consumers and know our continued commitment to their shopping needs and their communities is a crucial element in Kmart's growth and success."

The first stage of Kmart's multicultural marketing campaign will be local radio advertising in markets where African-American Kmart consumers have a strong presence. Created by Kmart's multicultural agency of record, Don Coleman Advertising (DCA), the spots targeting African-Americans will feature original soulful music by award-winning recording artists Chaka Khan and BeBe Winans.

The second stage in Kmart's multicultural advertising campaign -- television commercials -- will be seen on network and cable outlets that directly reach the Hispanic and African-American consumer within the next several weeks. The Spanish-language spots will feature musical legend Jose Feliciano.

As with the recently unveiled general consumer advertising campaign, the tagline for the radio and television commercials will be "Kmart. The Stuff of Life," or "Kmart. Las Cosas para La Vida." Khan, Winans and Feliciano will sing new, original music.

"Kmart's goal with this multicultural corporate brand campaign is to build an emotional bond with the consumer by clearly identifying the role Kmart plays in the lives of our multicultural shoppers," continued Feuling. "By demonstrating that Kmart uniquely fits diverse lifestyles and aspirations, we hope to drive consumer loyalty."

Further initiatives in Kmart's overall multicultural marketing program will include national sponsorships and grass-root efforts that directly reach regional markets or individual stores.
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