Rahul Saraswat

Walmart’s figured out what every other retailer is fumbling around trying to crack: if you’ve got the data, the eyeballs, and the checkout lanes, why not make a killing selling ads too? This quarter, Walmart Connect’s U.S. ad revenue shot up 26%, proving they’re not just a retail giant—they’re a media powerhouse with a side hustle so lucrative, it’s probably making Madison Avenue sweat. The secret sauce? Ads that don’t suck. Instead of bombarding shoppers with irrelevant noise, Walmart’s got brands paying up to slip into your shopping journey seamlessly. Need shampoo? Here’s the latest must-have. Shopping for cereal? Boom—there’s a new flavor you didn’t know you wanted. It’s like product discovery, but without the existential dread of scrolling TikTok for hours. This isn’t just about running ads; it’s about Walmart monetizing their entire ecosystem—from digital shelves to checkout clicks—and making it look easy. Meanwhile, other retailers are still trying to convince advertisers that their audiences are engaged enough to care. Newsflash: Walmart’s already cashing the checks. Retail media isn’t a cute side gig for Walmart; it’s a full-blown money-printing operation. If they keep this up, they won’t just be the place to grab eggs and toilet paper—they’ll be the kingpins of digital advertising, and the rest of the retail world will be left asking, “Can we copy your homework?” Spoiler: Walmart already handed it in.

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"Artificial Intelligence in eCommerce: Consumer Expectations and Top AI Trends" discusses how AI is projected to impact world economies, consumer views about AI, and the top 5 AI applications in eCommerce. https://ow.ly/nHsn50TnoKn

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As the CTV landscape evolves, contextual AI is becoming essential for advertisers, addressing key challenges like targeting limitations, transparency issues, and lack of real-time insights. Jon Wallett, VP of Sales, East Coast at Seedtag, emphasizes that innovation in contextual targeting is crucial for future success. Seedtag's contextual AI, Liz, enables brands to develop effective audience strategies, enhance creative messaging, and gain valuable insights, all while adapting to real-time trends. Wallett argues that embracing these advancements will drive greater transparency and more inclusive, interest-based targeting, making contextual AI indispensable for modern advertising. Watch the full interview here to learn more 📺 : https://lnkd.in/eJ9Q3PDJ #ContextualAI #CTVAdvertising #InnovationInMarketing

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Amazon's Major Shift in Vendor Relationships 🚨 Last week, Amazon sent out Vendor termination notices to many small / medium-sized brands. Here’s what’s happening. -Mass termination of 1P vendor accounts for brands with annual US sales under $5-10M. -Affected vendors must transition to Seller Central to continue on Amazon. -Vendor Central is becoming more exclusive and selective. Key Points: -Terminations effective November 9th, 2024 -Amazon likely to sell through remaining inventory by end of 2024 -Impacts international ASINs, Subscribe & Save, and listing contributions What This Means: -For terminated 1P brands: Urgent need to address Q1 2025 sales gap -For 3P sellers: Potential market share opportunity in 2025 Options for Affected Brands Moving Forward: -Transition to Seller Central (via agency or in-house team) -Explore wholesale reseller/Amazon Accelerator models -Exit Amazon completely #AmazonSeller #AmazonVendor #AmazonStrategy #Ecommerce Check out our full article: https://lnkd.in/guX7EXqy

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I sat down with Chet Silverman, Mr. eTail himself!! We discuss the evolution of trade shows and why the old model is dying, Walmart vs. Amazon, AI and its role in e-commerce, and many other topics! You do not wanna miss this exciting episode: https://lnkd.in/eiZYPiZs Big thanks again to Chet for coming on the show!

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🚨 Shifting the cookie countdown to 2025 hasn’t changed the growing necessity for a new paradigm in digital advertising’s approach to data. Individual-level targeting might feel familiar, but change is coming, and clinging to the past will only become more costly, complex, and risky. In this piece, Marko Johns, UK Managing Director and International Head of Agency at Seedtag, explains how contextual approaches deliver effective and sustainable advertising aligned with the emerging privacy-first status quo. 🌱 Curious to learn more? 🔎 Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/etKk8vrR #SurveillanceAdvertising #Contextual #AI #PrivacyFirst #AdTech

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From deciphering click-through rates to unraveling the mysteries of conversion attribution, the rise of e-commerce ad metrics paints a vivid picture of advertising's impact. Like other channels of growth marketing, e-commerce marketing has reshaped the way that data-driven businesses approach acquisition, conversion, and retention. #Advertising #Ecommerce #AdMetrics

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Walmart Steps Out of Amazon's Shadow in Retail Media The retail media landscape is evolving at breakneck speed, and Walmart is making bold strides. With **global retail media ad spend set to surpass $150 billion this year**, Walmart Connect has nearly doubled its usage among marketers, climbing from 24% in 2023 to 46% in 2024. So, what’s driving this momentum? Enhanced Capabilities: From search ads to offsite opportunities, including partnerships with platforms like TikTok and NBCUniversal, Walmart is diversifying its offerings. Unmatched Scale: With over 4,600 U.S. stores and a booming e-commerce business, Walmart offers unparalleled reach for brands. Pay-to-Play Influence: While marketers feel the pressure to invest for in-store advantages, Walmart’s ad business continues to gain traction, with revenues growing twice as fast as Target’s and Amazon’s. As retail media expands into **streaming, brand marketing, and first-party data**, Walmart is positioning itself as a key player. While it may not rival Amazon’s dominance yet, its e-commerce growth and innovative partnerships signal a promising future. After a decade of investment, Walmart Retail Media business is the first to become highly visible after Amazon pioneered the space, other large retailer's media networks are also getting close to fame and become significant player in both retail and media world. How are you adjusting your strategies to tap into growing retail media ecosystem? Who do you think are next retail media networks that will be taking the lion shares of advertisers spend? #RetailMedia #WalmartConnect #DigitalAdvertising #EcommerceGrowth Raymond Velez Helen Lin Rose Ahn Jitender Batra Jackie Walker Manolo Almagro Chen Wang

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Amazon is doing the equivalent of flipping the dinner table an hour before Thanksgiving with all of the features they are launching right before PBDD --> 5 things that have been added recently to search 1) Suggested Images - Amazon will show visual suggestions when someone searches. Brands should monitor what those tiles are and how your ads show up (or don't show up) when an image tile is selected. 2) Image search - Customers can add text to image searches! Would love to see stats on how many consumers actually use the image search feature. Doesn't feel very native outside of furniture / home goods. 3) More like this - If customers like a product in the SERP and want to see more similar, they can click more like this to open a "sub-serp". Will sponsored products be eligible to serve in this "sub-serp"? Will that show up in an SQR based on the original query? All things that buyers should be focused on. 4) Videos in the SERP (for organic) - SBVs are not new, but now organic videos are showing in the SERP. If you don't have video on your PDP already, you are missing out on a lucrative earned media value for your brand video 5) Circle to search - Again, another visual element where consumers can circle the item they want to search off an image. Not convinced this is a widespread behavior, but intriguing.

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Elevate Your Brand Store Experience with the New Store Quality Rating! As we approach the holiday shopping season, it's crucial to ensure your Brand Store is performing at its best. That's why I'm excited to share the new Store Quality Rating feature, designed to help advertisers optimize their stores and drive better results. The new rating will help you by: ✅ Receive a quality rating (High, Medium, or Low) based on critical metrics ✅ Benchmark against industry peers ✅ Get actionable, high-impact recommendations ✅ Access examples and deep links for easy implementation Why it matters, well its free and it helps drive sales: 📈 Shoppers who visit Brand Stores see a 71.3% higher average order value, 52.1% higher add-to-cart rate and 53.9% more frequent purchases 🆕 New-to-brand shoppers visiting Stores are 72.3% more likely to purchase and spend 4.5X more on average Not sure where to get started? Optimize your Brand Store with these best practices: 🎅 Update for seasonal activities 🔑 Create sub-pages for key products/categories 📚 Use the homepage to tell your brand story 🤳 Highlight social trends and influencer partnerships The Store Quality Rating empowers you to deliver exceptional shopping experiences, driving customer engagement and conversions. Have you checked out your quality rating? Take action today, many of the recommendations are quick to implement.

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Transparency Under the Microscope (Source: Digiday) Retail media networks are expanding to off-site channels, but marketers question ROI and performance transparency. RMNs are expected to capture $140 billion in ad spend this year, yet 55% of marketers cite lack of standardization as a key challenge. Concerns are rising over brand safety with made-for-advertising sites included in some offerings. Calls for greater transparency in the RMN negotiation process, CPM value, and retailer kickbacks continue to grow. Source Digiday: https://lnkd.in/gHQ3hf_H 🌎To learn more join the AdTechGod Slack Community: https://lnkd.in/g-XzVDkX ✉️Sign up for The Refresh newsletter: https://lnkd.in/g-gjn7GU

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We are spending 31% less on #RetailMedia to get the exact same sales. How? Both #Target and #BestBuy (and others) have a Retail Media solution where the search bidding is a first price auction vs. second price. #Amazon and #Walmart are second price. What is the difference? In it's simplest form... 🖋 First price auction is where what you bid is what you pay 🖋 Second price auction is you only pay ~$0.01 more than the next "best" bid (Amazon, Walmart, etc.) ("Best" is in air quotes because it's not that simple) Without strong bid strategies, intelligence and frankly a lot of attention to the data, a set it and forget it strategy for non-Amazon/Walmart search spend strategies can lead to overpaying. For the last 4 weeks, we are currently working with a client that by finding the right (lower) bids on their current non-branded targets, with 31% less spend we reaching the same: ➡ Total Ad Sales ➡ Total Reach ➡ Total Engagement (CTR + Absolute Clicks) ➡ Same Share of Voice The hope is that these dollars can now be redeployed to test new strategies and invest in other opportunities from the same retailer. Note - I'm not saying it's just that easy. It's all about understanding the retailer platform and not assuming #WalmartConnect is the same as #AmazonAds, #AmazonAds are not the same as #Roundel, #BestBuyAds, etc. I remain bullish that finding a real expert is important vs. someone's side job. The Bluebird Group has a broad set of experts across all #RetailMedia channels. For those traditional first price auction experts, I'd love to hear what strategies you find to be the most impactful!

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22 Rules For Reliable Profitable Growth on Amazon 🔥💯🔥 To become a confident Amazon seller, you need to be adaptable, reassured, and creative in your Amazon growth strategy. In this ebook, we lay out the eCommerce rules that will help give you the confidence in your process and systems to grow margins and sell more — saving you from heartache and headaches. Follow our rules across these 4 quadrants: 1. Content: All the listing optimizations for high-converting content, 2. Pricing: Maximize your sales and profit through auto, dynamic price changes, 3. Advertising: Leveraging automation to dominate your category, 4. Analytics: Digital shelf and purchase behavior insights at your finger tips. https://lnkd.in/g8FAPBmv

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As a data strategy nerd, I found this article particularly insightful, offering the perspective of a leading #CPG marketer, Colgate-Palmolive, who is placing consumer and customer #data at the core of their #marketing #strategy and #tactics. 1. Collecting & Prioritizing First-Party Data: Colgate-Palmolive has redesigned its digital properties and apps to prioritize the collection of first-party data, such as email addresses and user consent. This approach not only reduces their reliance on third-party data but also aligns with evolving data privacy regulations and mitigates risk. 2. Quality Over Quantity: The company highlights the importance of collecting high-quality, declarative, deterministic data. By focusing on data that is intentionally gathered to provide personalized and valuable content. Colgate-Palmolive avoids the pitfalls of amassing large quantities of data without clear purpose, as demonstrated by their Hill’s pet food brand. 3. Investing in the Right Tools: Colgate-Palmolive is building a robust data infrastructure, including a customer data platform (CDP) and a customized martech stack. This investment ensures that the data collected is well-organized, effectively managed, and utilized across various channels. By doing so, they aim to achieve a unified view of the customer, enabling more personalized and impactful marketing strategies. Safe controlled data collaboration (#cleanroom) will be key when they activate and measure their advertising. 4. Future-Proofing: This first-party data strategy is designed to future-proof their marketing efforts. Instead of viewing the decline of third-party cookies as a challenge, Colgate-Palmolive sees it as an opportunity to strengthen direct relationships with consumers and better position their brand against direct-to-consumer (DTC) competitors. #datacollaboration #contentpersonalization #personalization #DigitalAdvertising #DigitalMarketing #CDP #Privacy https://lnkd.in/gmbVi-9P

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As one who interacts with CMOs all the time I can tell you this topic is at or near the top of their collective priority list. And while I am skeptical of those who espouse best practices when it comes to generative AI - only because it is so nascent - I felt compelled to share this particular piece from my fellow CMSWire scribe, Tiffany Holland Why? Glad you asked. I felt compelled for the simple fact I agree with everything Tiffany opined on, which she breaks down into four truths, which are below along with my brief commentary. Do yourself a favor and read her piece. ➡️ Truth #1: Inaction With Generative AI in Marketing Is the Greatest Risk Yes, yes and YES. If I could climb the highest mountain I would and bellow this to the masses below. This ain't the time to "sit this one out" whilst the rest of the world, AKA your competition is taking full advantage. ➡️ Truth #2: Generative AI Offers More Value Than Just Operational Efficiency Tiffany deftly writes of the "narrow view" many CMOs and marketers have of Gen AI, which "offers only short-term benefits and overlooks the true power of machine learning." Dating myself big time here but this reminded me of the late 70's campaign professing that orange juice is not just for breakfast anymore. https://lnkd.in/e95uWbex ➡️ Truth #3: Generative AI Solutions Fails in the Traditional Marketing Model "Generative AI won’t deliver its full potential if organizations try to plug it into outdated operating models." Full Stop! Read and re-read that over and over and over and then, for the love of all things Holy, do NOT blame Gen AI if you do not adhere to this sage advice. ➡️ Truth #4: Ethical Governance of Generative AI in Marketing Is Critical I love that Tiffany saved this one for last because it is THE most important truth, by far. Gen AI and AI in general, is very much akin to the wild west right now; no rules of governance other than those self-imposed. Brands MUST self-govern the way they use Gen AI if for no other reason, it is the ethical thing to do. Please share your thoughts on all of this. I love a good conversation and yes, a debate if need be. Jeanniey John Aakansha Srota Manny Shelly Lou Jeff Raja Ted Lee David Alma Dom Rhonda #ai #GenAI #cmo

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Challenger brands. They not be the category leader—yet—but they have a mandate to grow. They’re willing to spend more on marketing than their competitors, take calculated risks, and push boundaries because consumers expect them to. Unlike the market leaders clinging to their share, challenger brands fight for it. And we love that. At Door No. 3, we’ve built a growth marketing engine for brands with bold ambitions. Think MALK Organics squaring off against the deeper pockets of Oatly and Almond Breeze. Think First United Bank carving its niche amongst banking behemoths to become the fastest-growing community bank in America. Think Baylor Scott & White Health taking on the big blues like United and Blue Cross. These are the challenges—and challengers—we embrace with open arms. So, if you're ready for your next big move, we're ready too. #ChallengersAccepted

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Retailers continue to face demands for growth and efficiency, with an increasing focus on measuring, proving and optimizing ROI of their investments and initiatives. In "AI-Powered Marketing Measurement: The Answer to Retail’s Efficiency Mandate", RETHINK Retail discusses how CMOs and marketers still often struggle to communicate the impact of their campaigns, and get timely access to data and insights required to drive in-flight and future optimization of spend allocation and tactics. As a result, a Gartner survey from earlier this year found that nearly half of CMOs feel marketing is viewed as an expense, not a strategic investment. Modernizing marketing measurement practices is no longer a choice but a necessity, and AI tools are having a transformative impact on how we monitor and evaluate marketing effectiveness. With Unified Measurement, retailers can achieve a comprehensive understanding of their marketing efficacy, enhancing allocation of resources for optimized outcomes. I discuss how Adobe Mix Modeler integrates Marketing Mix Modeling and Multi-Touch Attribution for better visibility and optimization, and provides marketers with real-time data, comparative analyses, scenario planning, and flexibility to adjust campaigns as needed - all powered by AI. In a world where efficiency and innovation are key, leveraging AI and advanced analytics can really transform retail marketing, driving growth and success. Read the complete article: https://lnkd.in/de5GNNuu #RetailMarketing #MarketingMeasurement #AI #AdobeMixModeler #ROI #MarketingOptimization #adobe #mixmodeling #UnifiedMeasurement #adobe #digitalMarketing

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Costco is entering the rapidly expanding world of retail media networks. Costco, the third-largest retailer in the United States, is preparing to launch its own retail media network (RMN) to tap into its extensive loyalty membership program and shopper data. Costco's RMN will allow the company and advertisers to deliver targeted ads to its 74.5 million paid household members based on purchasing behavior. As Mark Williamson, Costco's Assistant Vice-President of retail media, stated, "We will not only help you reach a Costco member, but we will help you reach the right members in the right context based on past behavior." Retail media networks have become one of the fastest-growing ad-supported media channels, with eMarketer estimating global ad spending for RMNs to reach $140 billion in 2024. While Costco's entry into this market is later compared to competitors like Amazon, Walmart, and Target, it presents a significant opportunity for advertisers to reach Costco's loyal customer base. Nich Weinheimer, Executive Vice-President of Strategy at Skai, expressed excitement about Costco's RMN, stating that it "offers a unique advantage: the ability to effectively target buyers through membership retail media networks. Costco's extensive data on purchase behavior is nearly unmatched, allowing ads to target loyal shoppers based on their recent purchases, behaviors, demographics, cart sizes, and more." Although Costco is a latecomer to the RMN market, with Amazon holding a 77% share of U.S. retail media ad spend, Costco's large customer base and first-party data provide a significant opportunity for advertisers in the travel, telecom, and other service sectors to reach new, targeted audiences. As Costco continues to develop its RMN, it must collaborate with data companies to create a programmatic ad-buying platform and manage its shopper data and targeting capabilities. #costco #amazon #retailmedianetwork https://buff.ly/3L5PKDs

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https://lnkd.in/g26enNWq This describes a significant shift in retail media, particularly in how digital screens and retail media assets are leveraged within physical stores. Traditionally, in-store media, such as digital screens, operated on a real estate rental model where the space was leased to media owners. The media owners then sold this to brands based on location, footfall, and brand affinity. However, the integration of retail transaction data with in-store media is what makes retail media a game changer. Media in Retail has now become Retail Media. Now, instead of just renting space, retailers such as Walmart have set up their own media business. With the right technology platform like Location Media Xchange as an enabler, they can open up their media inventory to Omni DSPs and their own Self Serve Platform. Media Planners and Buyers can now set up a campaign by selecting the brand specific product SKU, budget, and creatives, and the system will automatically handle the rest. The AI enabled system identifies the best-performing stores for that SKU, optimising the timing and placement of the creatives to drive maximum sales. The actual sales of that SKU from these stores guides and fine tunes the content and placement. This approach turns what was once a passive advertising medium into an active, data-driven marketing tool that continuously adjusts for the best results. Besides increased $$$ for the Brand which is also increased $$$ for the retailer, this opens up a completely new advertising $$$ stream for the retailer. This retail media automation and data integration elevate what was a simple rental model to a sophisticated, digital transformation strategy that can significantly boost sales. If you are multi-brand retailer, you should start now and the proof is in the pudding. Walmart has built a 3.4 Billion USD advertising business becoming one of the top 10 advertising companies globally. Their advertising income is expected to contribute to 20% of their overall income. The Time is NOW. Moving Walls #retailmedia #dooh #retail #advertising

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