Walmart adds social media, livestream partners to Walmart Connect

Walmart Connect, the closed-loop media business for Walmart, is collaborating with platforms including TikTok and Snap.

Walmart Connect is introducing its new Innovation Partners program, which provides what the discount giant calls “test and learn” opportunities with social, entertainment, digital TV commerce and livestreaming throughout the entire holiday season.

The newly expanded offering includes additional touchpoints and channels for CPG brands participating in Walmart Connect to reach customers wherever they are with new ad formats. Innovation Partners platforms include:

• TikTok — A pilot between TikTok and Walmart Connect will provide advertisers with the opportunity to serve in-feed ads on TikTok, leveraging TikTok's sound-on full-screen video format and Walmart Connect's targeting and measurement. Walmart first engaged with TikTok in the U.S. in December 2018, as a livestream shopping partner.
• Snap Inc. — This collaboration with Snapchat will bring advertisers Snap Ads, Collection Ads and Snap augmented reality (AR) with Walmart Connect geo-based measurement of omnichannel sales lift. This is the first time advertisers can buy Snap ad units through Walmart Connect.
• Firework —Walmart’s partnership with Firework enables supplier-funded shoppable livestreams and short shoppable videos on Walmart.com/live. Walmart Connect is testing how brands can leverage Firework’s capabilities to create premium, engaging, mobile-first video experiences and, to start, has partnered with CPG giants J&J and P&G.
• TalkShopLive — Building on an existing enterprise relationship with TalkShopLive, this partnership enables supplier-funded shoppable livestreams on Walmart.com/live, TalkShopLive’s platform, brand and publisher sites, as well as across the web. To start, Walmart has already executed livestreams with advertising partners including J&J, L’Oreal, P&G, and Samsung.
• Roku — In June 2022, Walmart launched a shoppable TV program with streaming platform Roku. As the exclusive retailer enabling streamers to purchase featured products fulfilled by Walmart directly on Roku, the new experience offers product discovery with a seamless checkout experience, enabling purchase at the time of inspiration. This new experience will be funded by advertisers through Walmart Connect and Roku Advertising.

“Our partnerships further underscore how Walmart Connect is committed to evolving our business and expanding our offerings to actively stay ahead of what advertisers need,” Seth Dallaire, executive VP and chief revenue officer, Walmart U.S., said in a corporate blog post announcing the Walmart Connect Innovation Partners program. “There is no other platform that can extend to new formats where customers are engaging and interacting, and leverage Walmart’s unparalleled first-party omnichannel data to deliver measurable sales performance. We are excited to test, learn and iterate on what drives performance for advertisers as we continue to break new ground with our partners.”

Other recent enhancements to Walmart Connect include making the Walmart Connect Search Brand Amplifier solution, which boosts advertised products to the top of search results, available to third-party Marketplace sellers.

In addition, Walmart recently partnered with e-commerce management platform CommerceIQ to offers automated management of sponsored product and sponsored brand amplifier advertising for CPG brands that target its customers via Walmart Connect.

[Read more: Walmart has big plans for its Walmart Connect ad platform]

Based in Bentonville, Ark., Walmart operates more than 10,500 stores and clubs under 46 banners in 24 countries and e-commerce websites.