Walmart Connect
Marketing
Designer, Brand,
Role
Feb 2022
June 2019 -
Timeline
InDesign, Sketch
Photoshop, Illustrator
Tools
Walmart Connect is an in-house advertising team that offers brands the ability to maximize advertising campaigns with rich data insights—based on both in-store and online data.
The rebrand
Create a new, differentiated brand identity that communicates an evolved mission to "connect brands more meaningfully in customers' everyday lives". Educate advertisers and suppliers of new strategic vision and offerings.
Deutsch Agency rebranded the business in January 2021, and Walmart Media Group became Walmart Connect. As a designer on the Brand team, I designed multi-channel creative assets to drive awareness of the rebrand within the marketplace.
Deliverables
Ad campaigns
Homepage redesign
Go-to-market materials
Case studies
B2B email design
Presentations
Sales sheets
Logo design
B2B advertising campaigns
We launched two advertising campaigns in 2021. The campaigns were designed to build awareness of the company's new name, vision and brand identity. The target audience were CMO's, shopper marketers and brand decision makers.
35 static ads, 6 publishers
We developed 35 ads with a few different value propositions; displaying our key differentiators across Forbes, Adweek, AdAge, Business Insider, Digiday and Modern Retail. The campaigns included homepage takeovers, run-of-site and 100% SOV for specific site verticals.
We ran Sponsored content across LinkedIn with Carousel ads that promoted our brand story—we connect advertisers with customers at every touchpoint in their shopping journey. I simplified the UI of each visual for easier viewing on mobile.
Visual style
The photography resonates with Walmart's core beliefs of diversity, inclusion, and authenticity. Gradient overlays are used to add depth and a pop of color against the dark blue background. The connecting lines and dots originate from the Walmart Connect logo and covey Walmart's data, reach and scale.
Walmart Connect homepage
I created a new temporary Walmart Connect homepage for desktop and mobile, building high-fidelity wireframes in Sketch. I redesigned the layout of the content, and applied our visual identity throughout. This included buttons, colors, fonts, and imagery. Design handoff to Sirius Solutions engineering team in India. Note: this project is ongoing as we continue to refine the entire website flow and content.
Desktop
Mobile
Go-to-market materials
Some of this information is highly sensitive and cannot be shared publicly. Below are a few pieces of work I can share.
Non-branded advertising
In summer 2021, Walmart unified its Walmart.com and Pickup & delivery sides of its website and app. To promote Walmart Connect's closed-loop advertising solutions across the new experience, I create non-branded product advertising examples for Sales. This ensures all B2B marketing materials do not contain any competitor branding.
Showcase our offerings
Examples include Onsite Display (POV, Expose, Left-rail, Marquee), Sponsored Products, Search Brand Amplifier, Offsite and Social.
These go-to-market materials showcase Walmart's core products and provide a deeper dive into Targeting and Measurement across the shopper journey.
Creative communications
I've designed 18 Vertical Brand case studies that summarize how Walmart Connect's omnichannel advertising solutions drive success for large and small scale businesses; promoting a strategic partnership with proven results. Other deliverables include numerous sales sheets, infographics, presentations and Salesforce Marketing Cloud email communications.
Fall infographic
Mr. Clean case study
Logo objective
The "Walmart Connect Suite" contains a variety of products, services, and platforms—including the Advertising Help Center, employee training, and more. The objective was to conceptualize and design logos for each offering; they should feel connected yet unique enough to live on their own.
Blinded case study
Walmart Connect sales sheet and email design
Logo design
The Walmart Connect branding contains a bright blue and aqua green gradient, defined as a primary color application. I have used this striking gradient in my design approach, and focused on clean simplified icons to visually communicate each offering. I experimented with the opacity to give depth and complexity to each shape.
Logo exploration
In June, 2019, Walmart Media Group brought its digital ad agency in-house from Triad Media, seeking to create a unified ad experience across its stores and digital properties.
The startup ad agency
My first collaborative project was to establish a brand identity that aligns with the Walmart Corporate brand, delivering consistency across brand voice and image. The branding should communicate the mission "Ads customers love. Partnerships brands trust".
Deliverables
Logo redesign
Brand style guide
Go-to-market materials
PowerPoint template
Iconography
Social assets
Sales sheets
LinkedIn banners
Branding overview
Rebrand deliverables
Style guide, PowerPoint template, go-to-market
B2B advertising campaign
The goal of this paid media campaign was to expand Walmart Media Group brand awareness by targeting marketers. In March, 2020, as the pandemic hit, the campaign was paused due to sensitivity in messaging. Here is the design process:
Process
Create 3 concepts
Present to stakeholders
Refine, build, deliver
Deliverables
60+ static ads
7 animated ads (GIG agency)
PSDs and JPGs
Publishers
Forbes, Adweek, Smartbrief, eMarketer,
Chief Marketer, Retail Drive
Only Walmart
+
Unique identifier
+
Proof point
SCALE
160MM weekly
omnichannel visits
DATA
360-degree view
of the customer
RESULTS
Closed-loop
measurement
RETAIL
Seasonal moments, everyday moments
Messaging
Concepts
I collaborated with the Creative Director, Copywriter and the Demand Generation team to conceptualize and develop 60+ offsite display ads. These were the three initial concepts:
1
Walmart by the numbers
Data tells the Walmart story using statistics as massive we are.
2
Every, Any & All
Big, bold descriptors illustrate Walmart’s size, reach and ubiquity.
3
Omni is everything
Omnichannel is a buzzy marketing concept. Let's own it.
Walmart by the numbers
This chosen concept highlighted Walmart's size, customer base, and closed-loop measurement. This campaign demonstrates Walmart's mastery of data — using data.
I produced 15 sketches and simple copy ads to visualize the concept.
Initial designs
Stakeholder feedback:
Static ads 300x250
1. For larger sized ads, incorporate photography to enhance the story of "connecting with the customer at every touchpoint"
2. Review the CTA language and button size
3. Consider solid color backgrounds; the Walmart spark should not compete with the copy
Animated ad, 300x600
1. "Advertise with us" CTA
2. Smaller ads contain solid Walmart Blue background
3. Larger sized ads use photography and non-branded product UI to communicate the story of "reaching 95% of American households, whenever they shop, and wherever they shop"
Final outcome
Walmart Advertising Partners
Walmart Media Group partners with selected third-party AdTech platforms to help brands scale, automate and optimize their Sponsored Products advertising. I produced external branding for this program including a logo, brand guide, and new layout of the Walmart Media Group website partner landing page.
Printed materials
Supporting Sales, Product and Marketing, these designed materials maintain a cohesive look and feel. Examples include case studies, one sheets, infographics and event collateral.
WMGU branding
Walmart's Learning and Development team, Walmart Media Group University, required branding for their training webinars, events and materials. I created 5 initial logo designs with a simplified illustration style that compliments the Walmart Corporate brand. I combined the two strongest designs to create a university emblem that signifies a badge of completion.
Initial badge ideas
Logo badge clear space
Onboarding event materials