Advertisers can now use Walmart shopping data to target Disney's streaming portfolio, which includes Disney Plus and Hulu. advertising week reports. The news comes after the companies on Wednesday announced a partnership between Disney Advertising and Walmart Connect, the retailer's media business.
As part of the deal, Walmart advertisers will be able to compare the retailer's shopper data with Disney's proprietary Audience Graph tools, helping them target audiences and better measure data. The data sets will be combined using clean room technology so that, in theory, user data cannot be shared with other external parties.
“Approximately 145 million customers shop with us online and in stores weekly,” said Ryan Mayward, senior vice president of media retail sales. Walmart Connectionhe said in a statement. “Now, marketers will be able to apply those insights to their full-funnel campaigns to reach customers wherever they are streaming Disney content.”
At the same time, Disney will join Walmart's Partner Lab, whose members include TikTok, Roku, NBCUniversal and other TV and social platforms. Each company works with Walmart to test new ad formats and measurements.
Initial testing of the partnership will begin sometime in the second quarter in categories such as consumer electronics, automotive, apparel and more.
The news comes after Walmart agreed to buy smart TV maker Vizio for about $2.3 billion in February, which should further boost its advertising business. But that's assuming the deal goes through: Privacy and competition advocates are urging the government to investigate the acquisition, warning that it “could draw captive buyers to Walmart's advertising and content channels forever.”
