Office Depot Plans To Take Care of Business Customers

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Jan 03, 2005

by George Anderson

By George Anderson

Office Depot stakeholders can’t be happy with the office supply retailer’s performance in 2004 that saw sales grow two percent in the first nine months of the year and only one percent during the third quarter.

The retailer is looking to avoid a redo of last year and it’s investing $80 million in a corporate marketing campaign that lets company owners and office managers know it plans to take care of business in 2005.

With consumer spending expected to be more restrained in the year ahead, Office Depot has decided to place a greater emphasis on wooing business customers. Business customers represent 80 percent of Office Depot’s sales globally, according to a report in the Sun-Sentinel newspaper.

The company has brought back its “Taking Care of Business” tagline after four years in mothballs.

Chuck Rubin, executive vice president of marketing for Office Depot said returning to the tagline was more than just marketing sizzle.

“It’s a cultural effort that will manifest itself in our advertising, product assortment and how employees go to work every day.”

“Taking Care of Business”, said Mr. Rubin, “is the umbrella of how we’re trying to differentiate ourselves. This is laying the foundation for the personality of the company as a whole.”

Moderator’s Comment: Is Office Depot on the right track with its “Taking Care of Business” strategy? What will it take for the retailer to truly differentiate
itself from others competing for this very same customer base?

In addition to a NASCAR sponsorship, radio, in-store signage, etc., “Taking Care of Business” is said to be the central theme around employee training at
Office Depot in 2005. –
George Anderson – Moderator

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Dana Madonna

17 years 22 days ago

I am third-year college student doing a research paper for her wonderfully over-simplified Marketing Principles class, and I came across this board while gathering information for the subject of my paper: Office Depot’s tagline strategy. In addition to enjoying the lavish college lifestyle, I dabble in part-time employment at Office Depot — part of the reason I chose the Office Depot tagline topic for my paper. I don’t believe that Office Depot’s new tagline has in any way changed the attitudes or morale of the employees. To be honest, we aren’t paid enough to “change the way we [come] to work.” Our cashiers and customer service associates are mainly people in their early to mid 20s, most of whom are going to school and for whom the corporate ladder at Office Depot ends at the bottom rung. We are there because we aren’t yet qualified for anything else. And I know I’m not saying anything new or shocking, but at times it needs to be reiterated. That said, I am genuinely surprised at the comments… Read more »