Walmart Inc. has changed the name of its advertising business to reflect new tools aimed at helping brands build connections with customers, the company said Thursday.
Walmart Media Group is now Walmart Connect, the Bentonville retailer said in a news release. The ad agency that Walmart brought in-house in 2019 offers digital advertisers an extensive customer database and a proprietary ad targeting and measuring platform.
Walmart Connect will focus on three strategic areas, the company said. One will use Walmart's "native" digital properties such as Walmart.com, the Walmart app and pickup and delivery services to put ads "right next to where customers are making purchasing decisions."
In stores, Walmart Connect will place brand messages on TV walls and checkout screens. The ads will be on nearly 170,000 digital screens across Walmart's more than 4,500 stores.
Walmart Connect also will use its shopper data in a partnership with advertising technology firm Trade Desk Inc. to create a platform that will help brands use their advertising dollars more effectively, the company said.