ClickZ Walmart Insights Newsletter - 10.24.2024

PLUS: Walmart's magical holiday campaign blends classic film scenes with heartwarming gift moments

Author

Sophie Bruxner-Randall
October 24, 2024

Leading Voices 📣

In a recent discussion, Sam Carter highlighted how TikTok for Business helps brands integrate engagement on TikTok with other marketing channels, such as organic and direct search. By providing data-driven insights, TikTok enables brands to analyze how their campaigns perform across the entire funnel, from discovery to conversion. This integration helps businesses optimize the customer journey, ensuring that engagement on TikTok effectively drives higher conversion rates across channels.

@tiktokforbusiness

"We help our clients understand the relationship between TikTok, and a channel like organic or direct search to piece together how the fun... See more

Mark Ritson on Brand vs Performance

It's important to support the notion that brand VERSUS performance is something that needs to be put to rest. The most important word in F&B's The Long and the Short of It is….AND. 

But it's equally important not to swing to the other extreme and start extolling brand and performance as things that can be achieved within the same ad. It's possible. Every good brand building ad also sells a lot of product. And every performance ad does something (usually not much) for the brand. But the key point is that marketers do need to treat brand and performance differently in mindset, objectives and execution. Folding them together only at the campaign level not the ad level.

Specialty Bites 🍪

Walmart's recent advancements in generative AI technology underscore its commitment to enhancing customer experiences through personalization. The introduction of Wallaby, a series of large language models, is a testament to Walmart's innovative approach, utilizing decades of retail data to refine customer interactions. This initiative includes an upgraded chatbot capable of recognizing individual shoppers, thereby improving order management and return processes. The company's ambition extends to launching a personalization engine, the Content Decision Platform, by 2025, which will tailor each shopper's homepage using a blend of legacy and generative AI systems.

In parallel, Autone, an AI-driven company, has secured $17 million in Series A funding to expand its demand forecasting and inventory management solutions. This funding will facilitate international growth and product enhancement, positioning Autone as a comprehensive supply chain tool. The founders, drawing from their retail industry experience, aim to simplify AI integration for clients, ensuring a seamless transition from outdated systems.

Meanwhile, Attentive has enriched its marketing platform with new features like Enhanced Tag and Smart Resolution, addressing the challenges posed by evolving consumer data privacy norms. These enhancements enable brands to better understand customer behavior across devices, significantly boosting revenue through personalized SMS and email communications. Attentive's focus on data quality and real-time signals exemplifies the industry's shift towards more sophisticated, AI-powered marketing strategies.

Walmart's new Insights Activation tool aims to bridge the gap between Walmart Connect and Luminate, but falls short of full integration. While it offers some benefits, true audience control and post-campaign insights remain elusive. Brands can still optimize by aligning test and control groups for better audience measurement.

Walmart

Walmart's 2024 holiday campaign, directed by Alexander Payne, blends iconic film scenes with gift-giving moments to create emotional connections. The campaign spans social media, online video, and in-store integrations, emphasizing affordability and cultural relevance. Walmart aims to bridge content and commerce, enhancing customer engagement and shopping experiences.

Walmart Business partners with Fiserv to offer Clover, a business management platform, to small and medium-sized businesses. This collaboration aims to streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and support growth. Customers can benefit from rebates and eGift cards, making it an attractive option for business owners seeking operational improvements.

Walmart and Amazon are addressing consumer price concerns by offering early holiday deals. Walmart's Thanksgiving meal deal and Amazon's beauty discounts aim to ease financial pressures. As living costs rise, these strategies highlight the importance of timing and savings in capturing customer loyalty during economic uncertainty.

Walmart's Q2 results show robust growth in sales and operating income, driven by strong e-commerce performance and increased transaction counts. The company highlights gains in membership income, advertising, and marketplace contributions. With a positive outlook for FY25, Walmart continues to expand its global presence and customer engagement.

Insight of the Week 🏆

In this interview, Henry Linney, Performance Marketing Director at Seraphine, a leading maternity brand, discusses how the brand harnessed full-funnel measurement for efficient growth. Here’s how they did it:

📊 Diversifying Channel Mix: Using full-funnel measurement, Seraphine identified opportunities in underused channels like Pinterest, reducing reliance on just a few channels.

💸 Better Budget Allocation: With apples-to-apples comparison across platforms, Seraphine could confidently optimize ad spend for greater efficiency.

⚡ Peak Period Preparation: Having data they trust allowed Seraphine to make quick adjustments to capitalize on momentum during Peak, ensuring strong performance during these periods. 

Read the full interview to learn more about Seraphine’s approach!

Performance Pulse 📈

Messaging apps like WhatsApp and Messenger are vital for sales, offering personal, immediate customer interactions. They enhance engagement, build trust, and drive conversions. By integrating automated tools and multimedia, businesses can optimize strategies. Tracking metrics ensures continuous improvement, making messaging apps a game-changer in customer engagement.

B2B digital commerce is revolutionizing business transactions by leveraging digital touchpoints to engage buyers. This approach enhances efficiency, customer experience, and scalability. Key trends include AI-driven personalization and mobile optimization. Implementing a suitable platform is crucial for success in this evolving landscape.

UK brands are set to expand influencer collaborations by 2025, with a third planning to engage up to 100 more influencers. Despite Instagram's dominance, Facebook remains popular. UK brands prioritize diversity and ethics, favoring micro-influencers. Influencer marketing budgets are expected to rise, reflecting industry growth.

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