BLOOD PRESSURE KIOSKS TESTED

Pat Natschke Lenius

DANBURY, Conn. - Brand marketers are beginning to advertise on blood pressure kiosks marketed by HealthV (HealthCheck) Center here.

SmithKline Beecham, Bausch & Lomb, ChemTrak and Ciba Self Medication are now testing ad messages on the in-store units, according to Joe Bardsley, the firm's executive vice president. Another 23 brands are considering advertising on the units, he added.

Although the kiosks have been on the market since 1986, advertising space was not offered for sale until last summer. It was too late for many brand marketers contacted to begin a program in 1995, he said. The space for advertising on the units had been used previously for institutional information about blood pressure.

Bardsley said the unit differs from other blood pressure kiosks positioned in pharmacies and supermarkets in terms of the size and type of message. The HealthV Center unit is composed of a digital scale and self-service blood pressure screening device that the consumer uses while standing.

"It is not much bigger than a bathroom scale," he said.

In addition to space for print advertising, the unit includes a voice chip to convey an audio message of a minimum length of 15 seconds in support of the advertisers' products, Bardsley said.

The units are in 5,000 pharmacies servicing about 2.9 million shoppers daily, Bardsley said. Among the food chains participating are A&P, Bruno's, Farmer Jack, Giant Food, Hy-Vee, King Kullen, Kroger, Safeway, Shop N' Save, Trig's Food & Drugs, Tidyman's Foods, Winn-Dixie and Wegmans.

The interactive blood pressure/pulse/weight checkup service is offered free to customers as a service of the pharmacies. The units also have space for educational brochures and purchase incentives.

The unit is made and marketed by CardioTech International, formerly known as CardioAnalysis Systems, which leases them to retailers.

National Retail Services, in partnership with CardioTech Interanational, provides in-store merchandising support. Its 1,100 field merchandisers service the units every 20 working days.