Sam’s Club debuts targeted connected TV ads, video search and 3D interactive product pages

Sam’s Club is launching an ambitious video ad program, including a partnership with The Trade Desk to target members on connected TV networks plus video search ads and interactive product videos on the retailer’s site. While other retailers, including Sam’s sibling Walmart, have moved in various ways to bring customer data to bear in CTV advertising, Member Access Platform (MAP) is going steps further with video shopping search ads and 360-degree interactive video product detail page ads from partner Eko that replicate an in-store shopping experience online. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs Sam’s promised to deliver video ad formats at a supplier summit earlier this year, said Lex Josephs, VP and general manager of MAP. “That’s mainly because of how it drives engagement, drives renewal and drives inspiration.” Launching during the holidays, she said, “is no small feat.” Via The Trade Desk, “we can take our data and match it with third-party data to create personalized messages,” then track sales conversions linked to the campaigns, Josephs said. Frequency capping is part of the proposition, so members who’ve been exposed to an ad for an LCD TV repeatedly without buying it don’t keep getting bombarded with a message that doesn’t interest them. “Combining the power of video with Sam’s Club’s first-party data is a major milestone for PepsiCo,” said Mic Zavarella, VP marketing of PepsiCo, in a statement. “MAP’s new video solutions will allow us to reach members at pivotal moments throughout their shopping journey, with highly engaging and relevant product information that will help drive purchase decisions—all with measurable results.” The video program is more than just driving conversions in the “lower funnel,” Josephs said. “Yes, we intend to drive sales within Sam’s Club, but within a membership program, you also have to attach members to a brand and give them inspiration and awareness of many other things. So for us it was very important to also move into the upper funnel.” Not having a third-party marketplace or needing to bolster sales for thousands or millions of vendors and having a more curated assortment gives Sam’s more flexibility to build offerings mainly around what shoppers want, Josephs said. Also, not annoying members, reducing Net Promoter Scores or jeopardizing renewals are considerations.” (Net Promoter Score refers to the metric used to measure how likely a customer is willing to recommend a company or its products to a friend.) Josephs added: “I have to be very surgical with what I do, because I have to think about if the member going to enjoy this experience.” Sponsored video search and interactive three-dimensional product videos members can use to examine products online as if they were in stores were among things that Sam’s research found members wanted, she said. “Yes, I want to buy my item. But I also want to understand what are the best items? What are the ingredients behind this item? What is the item made to do?” Josephs said. The interactive product videos take Walmart’s joint venture formed five years ago with Eko in a new direction. Early Eko work focused on using “choose your adventure” videos for content that included virtual summer camps in 2020. Procter & Gamble Co. also tapped Eko to produce online videos in which people could choose story lines in online versions of what would become its 2020 Super Bowl ad. Super Bowl commercials Tracking the latest brand and agency plans Enter here

Sam’s Club debuts targeted connected TV ads, video search and 3D interactive product pages

Featured Stories