Walmart Connect, formerly known as Walmart Media Group, is partnering with the Trade Desk to launch a new demand-side platform (DSP) for its suppliers and their ad agencies.
The company said it will be using its first-party shopper data to drive media performance for sellers outside of its proprietary sites. It expects the platform to be ready in time for the 2021 holiday season. The DSP will combine The Trade Desk’s technology platform with the scale of Walmart shopping data, which the company said comes from its 150 million weekly customers.
“Walmart is pioneering a new frontier in digital advertising, providing marketers with access to shopper data for the first time, in a way that both protects consumer privacy and improves the consumer experience,” said Jeff Green, CEO and co-founder at The Trade Desk, in a statement. “In doing so, marketers will be able to create much more refined, relevant and measurable advertising campaigns, which can be adapted on-the-fly to changing circumstances and real-time performance. We are thrilled to be working with Walmart to bring this vision to life.”
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Walmart said its new DSP will benefit from Walmart+, its Amazon Prime-like subscription program that includes free shipping, and the user data it generates.
Walmart Connect is also planning to expand advertising opportunities across its digital platforms and allow advertisers to reach in-store customers via media activations on in-store TV walls and self-checkout screens. The company said that includes nearly 170,000 digital screens across more than 4,500 stores.
Many brand messages can be delivered with date, time and geographic specificity. These advancements make Walmart Connect one of the largest instore activation networks and digital out-of-home ad platform, according to a news release. Walmart said it will eventually offer more opportunities for brands to be included in in-store experiences and sampling opportunities such as the Walmart Drive-in and Spooky Street.