Launching Lookalike and Custom Audiences Within a Walmart Onsite Display Campaign
What We’re Celebrating:
By expanding the brand’s Walmart Onsite Display strategy to leverage lookalike and custom audiences (“New Audiences” campaign), we drove new-to-brand (NTB) customers more efficiently, ultimately increasing sales.
January (“Traditional Prospecting” campaign) vs. February (“Traditional Prospecting” campaign + “New Audiences” campaign)
Total Onsite Display spend remained the same
+141% increase in ad-attributed detail page views (DPV)
+21% increase in ad-attributed sales
“Traditional Prospecting” campaign (February) vs. “New Audiences” campaign (February)
The “New Audiences” campaign received 28% less spend than the “Traditional Prospecting” campaign
The “New Audiences” campaign generated 5x more ad-attributed DPVs than the “Traditional Prospecting” campaign
The “New Audiences” campaign drove 23% more ad-attributed in-store sales than the “Traditional Prospecting” campaign
Overview:
Global Overview manages a client’s Walmart business, where Onsite Display prospecting has been a key strategy due to its ability to engage customers at the top of the funnel with eye-catching visuals. Additionally, Walmart reports that combining Sponsored Search with Onsite Display drives greater incremental sales compared to Sponsored Search alone, making it a compelling reason for the brand to maintain Onsite Display investment.
With the brand’s goal of reaching more NTB customers beyond search, we were inspired to test custom and lookalike audiences within Onsite Display. This strategy allowed us to engage previously untapped consumers, driving increased traffic and sales.
The Opportunity:
The brand was already leveraging Onsite Display prospecting, but with their newfound focus on reaching even more incremental shoppers, we aimed to maximize the full potential of this ad tool to achieve their goal.
The Strategy:
In February 2025, we dove into Walmart’s audience targeting capabilities to uncover new shopper segments for the brand. After identifying two audience types that Walmart contacts guaranteed would generate 100% NTB shoppers, we decided to test them within a “New Audiences” Onsite Display prospecting campaign while continuing to run the brand’s “Traditional Prospecting” Onsite Display efforts. We reallocated 42% of the “Traditional Prospecting” campaign’s budget to support this test:
Lookalike Audiences – Shoppers who hadn’t purchased from our client before but had similar buying signals to existing customers. Even if these shoppers hadn’t yet engaged in the aisle, we were confident their shared characteristics with the brand’s core demographic would make it easier to convert them into buyers.
Custom Audiences – Consumers who hadn’t purchased from our client within a 12-month timeframe, as well as those who previously viewed or purchased competitor items. This approach enabled us to engage consumers who were already shopping in the category but hadn't recently utilized our client’s products.
The Results:
The “New Audiences” campaign drove notable improvements in overall Onsite Display performance when comparing January (“Traditional Prospecting” campaign) to February (“Traditional Prospecting” campaign + “New Audiences” campaign):
0% change in total Onsite Display spend
+141% increase in ad-attributed DPVs
+21% increase in ad-attributed sales
Additionally, the “New Audiences” campaign proved more efficient in driving NTB shoppers and conversions compared to the “Traditional Prospecting” campaign. Despite receiving 28% less spend than the “Traditional Prospecting” campaign in February, the “New Audiences” campaign generated 5x more DPVs and 23% more in-store sales, demonstrating its effectiveness in reaching and engaging new, relevant shoppers.
Looking to leverage new audiences for your brand on Walmart?
Reach out to our team – we’re excited to help you elevate your Walmart Onsite Display performance to new heights!