Walmart Expansion Success: Utilizing Walmart Connect & Ibotta Performance Network

One of our better-for-you clients has been a top-performing brand since their initial launch at Walmart. It was only a matter of time until the buyer decided to reward them by expanding their door count. This, of course, is a huge deal for any brand trying to gain nationwide distribution at America’s largest retailer. That said, it was extremely important to support the door expansion as best we could. Our goal was to create a plan that was not only effective at building brand awareness around product availability but, more importantly, driving sales velocity—thus, we set about crafting an innovative strategy for success.

Once we had a strategy and budget sketched out, it was time to get started merging the targeting power of Walmart’s paid retail media network with the broad consumer reach of Ibotta, and this case study covers that journey. We’re going to take you through every step of our process so you can see just how powerful stacking these two platforms together can be at driving digital sales at Walmart. 

Background

Our client was tasked with the ambitious goal of supporting a substantial 125% door expansion at Walmart and approached us for a strategic digital solution to help. Facing a category where standing out is tougher than ever before, they needed a way to increase their footprint while ensuring that this expansion translated into tangible sales growth. 

Recognizing the untapped potential of digital platforms in achieving these objectives, we stepped in with a proposal. We suggested a two-pronged strategy that actively harnessed the powers of both Walmart Connect for Retail Media and the Ibotta Performance Network for Digital Shopper Marketing.

This approach was about much more than just advertising; it was about creating a unique customer experience that begins the moment a potential buyer searches for a product. We aimed to capture the attention of new customers and gently and subtly guide them toward making a purchase by integrating these two digital marketing giants together.

Strategy and Implementation

• Walmart Connect [Targeting New Customers]: The first part of our strategy involved Walmart Connect, the retail giant’s paid retail media platform. We directly targeted new-to-brand customers through strategically chosen keywords, and our ads were designed to appear prominently to a relevant audience, thereby greatly increasing product visibility and attracting new buyers. This strategy yielded a total of 18,436 units sold, an impressive average return on ad spend (ROAS) of 5.2, over 3.1 million impressions, and 21,471 clicks, signifying robust engagement with our targeted customer base. To achieve these results, we ran Sponsored Product, Sponsored Brand, and Sponsored Video campaigns concurrently over a period of four weeks. 

Ibotta Performance Network [Boosting Conversion]: Complementing the increased visibility from Walmart Connect, we employed the Ibotta Performance Network to further increase the conversion rate. We did so by adding a $1 cash-back ribbon to the sponsored product ads. This offer wasn’t just limited to Ibotta’s Shopper app users (50 million users), but was also extended to Walmart Plus members (59 million members), which further helped broaden the exposure of the cash-back offer. This strategy significantly broadened the offer’s exposure, resulting in a cumulative sale of 16,651 units, achieving over 1.25 million impressions, and unlocking a substantial 63,273 offers in total. We geo-targeted all of the new Walmart stores our client was launching in. Our goal was to guarantee that Walmart shoppers at these new locations knew about the availability of their product at their local stores, thereby accelerating sales momentum and increasing household penetration.

Results

• Sales and Units Moved: Within four weeks, the campaign ultimately resulted in $127.1k in digital retail sales, with a total of 36,430 units sold. Its impressive sales volume highlights the effectiveness of targeting the right audience and providing them with a compelling offer to convert them.
• Impressions Created: Leveraging both Walmart Connect and Ibotta’s Performance Network led to a high number of product impressions that directly translated into increased brand awareness. The total of 4.4 million impressions significantly impacted sales and actively contributed to the campaign’s success.
• Month-Over-Month Sales Velocity Growth: With our client’s resets approaching, their primary objective before their crucial buyer meeting was to demonstrate month-over-month digital sales and velocity growth after expansion. The strategy involved deploying retail media and digital shopper marketing programs that successfully drove incremental unit growth and showcased our client’s potential for continued expansion.
• Enhanced Brand Loyalty and Shopping Experience: Beyond the quantifiable metrics of sales and impressions, our digital support efforts positively impacted brand loyalty and the overall omni-channel shopping experience for Walmart’s customers. Though intangible, this aspect is a vital contributor to the brand’s long-term growth.
• Data-Driven Approach: Our strategies were grounded in data-driven insights that allowed us to effectively engage and resonate with Walmart’s online shoppers. This approach enhanced the campaign’s success and provided valuable insights for future marketing initiatives.
• Future Growth Prospects: The overwhelming success of this campaign facilitated immediate sales growth while setting a strong foundation for the client’s future presence and expansion in Walmart. Our integration of Walmart Connect and Ibotta’s Performance Network exemplifies the brand’s potential for continued growth and market penetration.