Ad Age: The Kroger Co. has signed a deal with In-Store Broadcasting Network (IBN) to launch a TV network in 2,500 Kroger stores, according to the company.
Kroger, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, is the nation’s No. 2 grocery chain behind Wal-Mart; IBN, of Salt Lake City, Utah, provides in-store music and TV advertising services to supermarket and drug store chains.
Kroger says the new in-store TV messaging system will reach 68 million shoppers weekly, following an 18-month rollout. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Evan Anthony, vice president of marketing and advertising at Kroger, said he wanted to build a network from the ground up that would allow for customization by store, group of stores or other categories. He also wanted to allow the triggering of content by weather and day-part.
“I can think of my company as a media company now,” he said.
Does that include Fry’s?