Last night I walked into Ralphs. I originally stopped at said Ralphs for a simple salad from their salad bar. But then I realized, while waiting in the checkout line, I could earn credits towards free Shell gasoline the more I purchased (and with gas prices teetering on $4/gallon – who doesn’t want free gas?!)

So I stepped out of line but before I could return to the aisles, I saw a Redbox kiosk and thought – hmmmm, a movie sure sounds good! But then I wouldn’t have enough cash for my salad… That’s when I spotted the Bank of America ATM, next to the Coinstar machine! So now, movie, salad, and a couple of snacks (towards my free gas) I start heading back to the line – only to be sidetracked again by a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf kiosk (my favorite!) It was then I realized, Toto, we’re not JUST in Ralphs anymore…

Cross-promotional marketing is everywhere it seems and it’s not just supermarkets. Establishments such as McDonald’s and several convenience store chains have started incorporating multiple kiosks to create the ultimate shopping experience. This type of strategy is taking the marketing world by storm, especially as we continue to experience repercussions from our economic downturn. It’s also an excellent way for a newer product to leverage the success of an existing brand. In this Advantage article they outline the 3 steps to great cross promotion:

1. Understand your customers
2. Identify businesses that target similar customers
3. Find benefits for everyone involved

Properly executing a cross-promotional program is a win-win for everyone and although it prolongs a simple shopping trip for yours truly, it did end up saving me a whole lot in gasoline;-)

What other successful cross promotions can you identify?