Walmart Connect has several exciting updates to its Sponsored Products API. According to the Walmart Connect team, they started with the platform itself, creating an entirely new omni-channel platform that enables their new app and website to deliver on more than shopping – a critical first step in creating a lifestyle app that serves customers’ wants and needs more efficiently. Here’s what that means in terms of customer experience:
- Walmart Connect is completely redesigned with the customer in mind, making it more intuitive and predictive, and simpler for their customer to navigate.
- They’ve unified the experience by bringing grocery and general merchandise together, which means that customers no longer need to switch between two sides of the app or website.
- They’ve built new features that make ordering weekly groceries and essentials for store pickup or delivery easier and faster than ever. For example, a Quick Add function that leverages machine learning to build predictive baskets and an industry-first Wallet that organizes each of their customer’s digital payment methods used for transactions at Walmart and automatically distributes eligible items into appropriate payment methods.
- The new site unification will affect search in-grid placements. There will be a maximum of 2 search in-grid placements every 10 results, which means 8 ads for the standard 40 search results on page 1.
Placement Reporting for Auto Campaigns
Placement performance reporting is now available for Automatic Sponsored Products campaigns in addition to Manual campaigns. This report lets advertisers view the performance of Search In-grid, Carousel, BuyBox placements in their auto-big campaigns with a data backfill showing historical performance available as far back as May 10, 2020.
Keyword Based Item Page Bidding
Sponsored Products Manual campaigns have expanded to include Buy-Box and Item Page Carousel placements. Both placements are highly visible and aim to help advertisers increase campaign reach to gain greater Share of Voice (SOV). Some advertiser benefits include greater reach, access to premium placements and more control.
While you cannot target specific item pages with the Item Placements for Manual campaigns you can indirectly influence the likelihood of showing up on certain item pages. You can do so by selecting items you’d like to serve ads on and include keywords from the item page taxonomy, item title and brand title.
- The search term report will give insights on which pages an ad is served. Item page placements appear as an Item ID on the search term report.
- Item Page Placements aren’t beheld to the 128 organic rule like Search In-Grid placements. This allows manual campaigns to be utilized for new product launches for products with low organic rankings.
- Increased reach for manual campaigns may mean increased spend. So, advertisers may want to allocate more budget to manual campaigns if item placements are enabled.
Minimum Budget Reduced for Sponsored Products – 3P Advertisers
Walmart has reduced the minimum budget required for Sponsored Products campaigns for 3P advertisers. The monthly budget requirement is currently $100 and $50 for daily budget. Going forward it will be $50 for monthly and $10 for daily.
Bulk Campaign Download (Campaign Snapshot)
The on-demand Campaign Snapshot report allows advertisers with Sponsored Products and Search Brand Amplifier campaigns to export campaign-structure information in bulk. Advertisers can use this information when migrating Self-serve or Managed Serve Search campaigns to a Walmart Platform Partner, or from one Walmart Platform Partner to another. Campaign Structure data is available for in-flight, paused, complete and proposed campaigns.
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