REPUBLIC, NABISCO JOIN IN 'WORKOUT' EFFORT

DAN ALAIMO

LOS ANGELES -- Republic Pictures Home Video here and Nabisco Shredded Wheat, East Hanover, N.J., have created a major cross-promotion involving supermarkets for "Joan Lunden: Workout America." The January cross-promotional marketing plans include a coupon handout program in supermarkets to highlight a $3 rebate and a freestanding insert that will reach 48 million households, said Glenn Ross, Republic's senior vice president of marketing. Republic also will put a 30-second trailer on the tape to promote Nabisco Shredded Wheat and Nabisco artwork on the video packaging and the two companies will mount a joint advertising program. The supermarket-focused program "seems like perfect target marketing," said Ross. About 5,000 supermarkets will hand out 3 million coupons during January, he said. "We are looking for enhanced exposure for the tape -- more impressions in front of more consumers, in particular women. That's why we are getting involved with Shredded Wheat, which we will promote to women and specifically in grocery stores." The key to getting sales from the promotion will be making sure both products are in stock when the program hits and, ideally, merchandising them together, said Ross. "The stores should have the Joan Lunden videocassettes right next to the Shredded Wheat. If you are tying two products together, you don't want to send the customer off into the store looking for it, or send them to another location. It would be great if, during that impulse buy, the customer can pick up both products at the same time." The Lunden tape also features fitness expert Barbara Brandt, who created the program. It was scheduled to be released on Dec. 14 with a suggested retail price of $14.98. The video includes a montage of Lunden in such activities as ice climbing, scaling mountains, scuba diving, hang gliding and bungee jumping. It was directed by Steve Purcell.