Martha Stewart Everyday Kitchen, a new line of housewares, has been added to the popular home brand available at Kmart stores.
MarthaStewart.com, at www.marthastewart.com, announced the availability of the line at Kmart's 2,150 retail stores and at www.bluelight.com, a joint venture of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Kmart and Softbank Venture Capital.
Newspaper inserts were scheduled to appear in yesterday's newspapers across the country, when Kmart stores officially launch the new line. Pictures of the new offerings will appear on the first page of Kmart's Sunday insert, which is distributed weekly to more than 73 million households nationwide.
E-mail messages to MarthaStewart.com's 1.5 million registered users will be sent to coincide with the newspaper inserts and the official launch date of the Everyday Kitchen line in retail stores, said Sharon Patrick, president/CEO, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, New York.
A 30-second commercial introducing the Martha Stewart Everyday Kitchen line is scheduled to air this month on daytime and prime-time network television. The spot will feature Stewart preparing a table for an evening of entertaining and dining with an array of merchandise from the kitchen collection line that bears her name.
Patrick said print ads would run in the December issue of Martha Stewart Living.
Michele Jasukaitis, director of product publicity at Kmart, said the print campaign also would appear in Better Homes and Gardens and People magazines.
Direct mail has been an integral part of marketing the Martha Stewart Everyday line and will continue for the Everyday Kitchen campaign, but officials did not disclose details regarding drop dates or how consumers would be targeted.
Other questions left unanswered concerned the retail giant's database, the return it expects on its media buys promoting the Everyday Kitchen line, and how Kmart tracks the effectiveness of its advertising.
“The only thing we talk about when it comes to strategy is what kind of [media] we use,” Kmart spokeswoman Laura Mahly said.
Kmart expects the popularity of the brand to drive traffic to stores.
Handing the creative for the print and TV campaign elements along with Martha Stewart Everyday were Working Class and Campbell Mithun Esty — Kmart's ad agency until TBWA/Chiat/Day takes over at the end of the year. Kmart handled placement of these elements, Patrick said.
Martha Stewart Everyday Kitchen offers more than 650 items, including dinnerware, cookware, utensils and cutlery products. The merchandise will be found in Kmart's home department.
Packaging of products in the new line will include the Martha Stewart Everyday signature how-to information.
Bluelight shoppers can have Martha Stewart Everyday Kitchen products gift-wrapped and sent in time for the holidays. Customers also can return Internet purchases to Kmart retail stores for a full refund, Patrick said.
