Looking to strengthen what it says is its position as a leading ad platform for sellers and suppliers, retail giant Walmart’s advertising platform, Walmart Connect, has announced partnerships with major video streaming and social video services.
Specifically, Walmart Connect has announced partnerships with Roku, TikTok, Snap, Firework and TalkShopLive to create what it says will be new, innovative ways to connect sellers with customers via streaming, social video sharing and live streaming platforms.
Walmart Connect’s current partner programme consists of technology platforms, service partners and solution providers. Now, the company is aiming to create a fourth type of partner — Innovation — along with the addition of partner companies that provide “test and learn” social, entertainment, and live streaming opportunities for sellers.
With TalkShopLive, Walmart Connect will build on its existing enterprise relationship to enable supplier-funded shoppable livestreams on Walmart.com/live, TalkShopLive’s platform, brand and publisher sites and across the web, helping to connect the retail landscape via TalkShopLive’s embeddable video player. Walmart Connect is testing how brands can amplify their content and connect with shoppers at scale, and to start, have already executed livestreams with J&J, L’Oreal, P&G and Samsung among others.
The first-of-its kind partnership with Snapchat will bring advertisers Snap Ads, Collection Ads, and Snap AR with Walmart Connect geo-based measurement. This is the first-time advertisers can buy Snap ad units through Walmart Connect and get in front of the unique Snapchat audience (75% of 13-34 year-olds in over 20 countries) who hold over $4.4 trillion in spending power globally.
A similar arrangement with TikTok will aim to provide Walmart Connect’s advertisers with the opportunity to serve in-feed ads on the rapidly growing social platform and understand effectiveness through Walmart Connect’s targeting and measurement.
Walmart recently announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with Roku to makeTV streaming the next e-commerce shopping destination. As the exclusive retailer enabling streamers to purchase featured products fulfilled by Walmart directly on the streaming platform, the new experience offers product discovery with a quick checkout experience, enabling purchase directly. Walmart Connect will connect brands to customers through the t-commerce platform on Roku. Advertisers will receive insights on effectiveness with Walmart Connect measurement.