Retail Media
24 May 2023
Walmart Connect's partner network gets creative
Self-serve advertisers will be able to access five firms to optimize creative on Walmart's retail media network.
The Walmart ecommerce app. (Courtesy photo)
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Walmart Connect is expanding the self-serve tools offered through its partnership ecosystem.
The retail media platform provides access to a number of firms that can help advertisers as they seek growth and support. Now, that ecosystem will operate under the banner of the Walmart Connect Partner Network, Walmart said.
The latest expansion comes in the area of creative, which describes the content and design of the ad itself. A group of firms that focus on optimizing ad creative will now be available to Walmart Connect self-serve partners. Walmart said this will become more important as it continues to roll out new ad experiences.
“Ad creative plays a critical role in ad campaign effectiveness. But we understand it can be challenging for self-serve advertisers – particularly smaller businesses – to get the support they need for their ad creative, especially as our self-serve ad formats evolve,” wrote Diana Finster, head of agency and technology partnerships for Walmart Connect, in a blog post announcing the news. “Those challenges might be creating content, iterating creative based on performance, or even just understanding best practices for the Walmart customer.”
Creative partners include VidMob, WhyteSpyder, Kaizen Ad, It’sRapid.ai and The Mars Agency.
They will combine managed services and technology to provide the following:
- Item setup and detail page optimization for Sponsored Search campaigns.
- Video creation and editing, for media such as Sponsored Videos.
- Display content support across placements and formats
The Walmart Connect Partner Network also includes a number of other firms that can be accessed by suppliers and sellers as they seek to grow advertising. Walmart Connect outlined the following groups of partners:
Solution Partners: 19 API partners are available to help scale, automate, and optimize search campaigns. Most recently, Helium10 joined this group. Creative Partners will also be a part of the Solution Partners cohort.
Service Partners: More than 80 agencies help Walmart advertisers plan, buy and optimize media.
Technology Partners: Offsite placements are available through Meta and Pinterest. Walmart Connect also partnered with The Trade Desk to create a standalone demand-side platform called the Walmart DSP.From Your Site Articles
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Marketing
09 June 2023
'There's a lot of ways to frame value'
Campbell Soup Company CEO Mark Clouse offered thoughts on messaging amid inflationary shifts in consumer behavior.
Photo by Kelly Common on Unsplash
After months of elevated inflation and interest rate hikes that have the potential to cool demand, consumers are showing more signs of shifting behavior.
It’s showing up in retail sales data, but there’s also evidence in the observations of the brands responsible for grocery store staples.
The latest example came this week from Campbell Soup Company. CEO Mark Clouse told analysts that the consumer continues to be “resilient” despite continued price increases on food, but found that “consumers are beginning to feel that pressure” as time goes on.
This shows up in the categories they are buying. Overall, Clouse said Campbell sees a shift toward shelf-stable items, and away from more expensive prepared foods.
There is also change in when they make purchases. People are buying more at the beginning of the month. That’s because they are stretching paychecks as long as possible.
These shifts change how the company is communicating with consumers.
Clouse said the changes in behavior are an opportunity to “focus on value within our messaging without necessarily having to chase pricing all the way down.”
“No question that it's important that we protect affordability and that we make that relevant in the categories that we're in," Clouse said. "But I also think there's a lot of ways to frame value in different ways, right?”
A meal cooked with condensed soup may be cheaper than picking up a frozen item or ordering out. Consumers just need a reminder. Even within Campbell’s own portfolio, the company can elevate brands that have more value now, even if they may not always get the limelight.
The open question is whether the shift in behavior will begin to show up in the results of the companies that have raised prices. Campbell’s overall net sales grew 5% for the quarter ended April 30, while gross profit margins held steady around 30%. But the category-level results were more uneven. U.S. soup sales declined 11%, though the company said that was owed to comparisons with the quarter when supply chains reopened a year ago and expressed confidence that the category is seeing a longer-term resurgence as more people cook at home following the pandemic. Snacks, which includes Goldfish and Pepperidge Farm, were up 12% And while net sales increased overall, the amount of products people are buying is declining. Volumes were down 7%.
These are trends happening across the grocery store. Campbell is continuing to compete. It is leading with iconic brands, and a host of different ways to consume them. It is following that up with innovation that makes the products stand out. Then, it is driving home messaging that shows consumers how to fit the products into their lives, and even their tightening spending plans.
Campbell Soup is more than 150 years old, and has seen plenty of difficult economic environments. It is also a different business today, and will continue to evolve. At the end of the day, continued execution is what’s required.
“If it's good food, people are going to buy it, especially if it's a great value,” Clouse said.
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