CVS, Walgreens Mine Big Data from Vaccine Recipients

When you get your Covid vaccine, you might rightly call it a lifesaver.

Your pharmacy might see it as something else: a marketing opportunity.

Free Shots, Free Goodie Bags

Much has been said of the pharmacy juggernauts including CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and others that are playing a key role in the vaccine distribution process.

On one hand, pharmacies are not expected to see a huge financial windfall from administering the vaccines themselves.

On the other, the pharmacy chains are expected to gain access to data on millions of new customers, according to a report by the WSJ:

• In order to receive a vaccine at Walmart, for instance, one must set up a patient profile in the company’s online portal.
• Same goes for Walgreens, where hopeful recipients will be opted-into receiving marketing emails and giving data including “real-time location and IP address.” A Walgreens spokeswoman did clarify that medical data itself won’t be used for marketing purposes.

CVS chief operating officer Jonathan Roberts didn’t mince words: “Every one of these customers is coming through our digital front end, so we have their email, we have their text message, and we have the ability to communicate with them regularly.”

And we aren’t talking about a skimpy email list. Eight million people took a coronavirus test at CVS who weren’t patients at CVS in the prior year.

Quarter Hour Blitz

On top of the data deluge, pharmacies will look to take advantage of the precious fifteen minutes that vaccine recipients are monitored for adverse reactions.

Kroger, which has been offering samples and goody bags at vaccinations, says it’s planning to target customers with brand collaborations with products at Covid-19 inoculations.

The takeaway

With 15.3% of the U.S. population having received one dose so far, the chains will have plenty of time to fine tune approaches.