Walmart's Genius "Who Knew?" Campaign: Walton Goggins Exposes What You're Missing vs Amazon

Summary

Episode Summary: "Walmart's Genius 'Who Knew?' Campaign: Walton Goggins Exposes What You're Missing vs Amazon"

Podcast: Omni Talk Retail
Host/Authors: Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga
Release Date: June 13, 2025
Episode Title: Walmart's Genius "Who Knew?" Campaign: Walton Goggins Exposes What You're Missing vs Amazon

Introduction to Walmart's "Who Knew?" Campaign

In this episode of Omni Talk Retail, hosts Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga dive deep into Walmart's latest advertising initiative titled "Who Knew?", featuring actor Walton Goggins, renowned for his role in The White Lotus. The campaign aims to showcase the extensive evolution of Walmart's services and digital offerings, challenging Amazon's dominance in the e-commerce space.

Campaign Overview and Objectives

Anne Mezzenga ([00:00]) begins by outlining the core elements of the campaign. Walmart's press release emphasizes substantial changes, highlighting:

• Over half a billion items available online and via the Walmart app.
• Express delivery options promising door-to-door service in as little as one hour.
• Introduction of Walmart+ membership, offering perks beyond grocery shopping.
• Enhanced digital experiences that users might not fully realize are already in place.

Anne emphasizes the campaign's underlying message: "The biggest surprise isn't what's changed, Chris, it's how many people don't know it's already there."

Hosts' Initial Reactions

Chris Walton ([00:38]) expresses his enthusiasm for the campaign, particularly praising the choice of Walton Goggins as the spokesperson. He remarks, "I have to love anything by Walton Goggins," highlighting the strategic casting as both impactful and clever.

Anne ([01:05]) adds, "That was such a perfect pick. The casting for this was Walton Goggins." She appreciates the subtle wordplay in the campaign's title and casting, which adds a memorable touch to Walmart's message.

Strategic Positioning Against Amazon

Chris elaborates on how the campaign strategically positions Walmart against Amazon:

• Vast Product Range: With over 600 million items, Walmart presents itself as a formidable competitor to Amazon's extensive catalog.
• Walmart+ Membership Benefits: Chris contrasts Walmart+ with Amazon Prime, noting additional benefits such as gas discounts, in-store returns, express delivery, and a more affordable annual subscription (approximately $50 cheaper than Prime).

He states, "Walmart Plus beats Prime every day of the week and twice on Sundays, in my opinion," underscoring the perceived value proposition of Walmart's membership program.

Advertising Insights and Creative Execution

Anne, leveraging her advertising background, commends the campaign's execution:

• Visual Storytelling: The advertisement effectively showcases a variety of products available at Walmart, from clogs to accordions, reinforcing the vastness of Walmart's offerings.
• Consumer Convenience: Emphasizes that customers can access the complete Walmart experience digitally, eliminating the need to visit physical stores. Features like in-app returns and comprehensive delivery services highlight the seamless integration of Walmart's online and offline capabilities.

Anne notes, "Everything that is in the Walmart system can come to you as a consumer," emphasizing the convenience and accessibility Walmart provides through its digital platforms.

Impact on Walmart's Market Position and Demographics

Chris and Anne discuss how the campaign is attracting a new demographic to Walmart:

• Digital Integration: The emphasis on digital services appeals to tech-savvy consumers who prefer online shopping and value convenience.
• Comprehensive Service Offering: By bundling traditional retail with advanced digital services, Walmart is positioning itself as a one-stop-shop for diverse consumer needs.

Chris ([03:43]) adds, "It’s a really smart play," agreeing with Anne's points and further highlighting the strategic acumen behind the campaign.

Leadership and Strategic Direction

The conversation shifts to Walmart's Chief Marketing Officer, William White, a former colleague of Chris at Target. Chris expresses high regard for White's leadership:

• Upscaling Walmart's Perception: White's strategies are not only enhancing Walmart's market position but also potentially setting benchmarks that might influence competitors like Target.
• Industry Influence: Chris speculates that White's success could prompt competitors to reevaluate their strategies, potentially upscaling their own operations in response to Walmart's advancements.

He remarks, "If I was Target, I'd be taking a hard look at him because he might actually be my number one choice," highlighting the competitive edge Walmart is gaining under White's leadership.

Conclusion and Future Outlook

The episode concludes with both hosts expressing optimism about Walmart's direction and the effectiveness of the "Who Knew?" campaign. They acknowledge the campaign's role in not only reinforcing Walmart's existing strengths but also in highlighting new and innovative services that cater to evolving consumer preferences.

Anne ([03:43]) encapsulates the sentiment: "I think it's a great campaign. Super smart, super brilliant," underscoring the hosts' unanimous approval of Walmart's strategic moves in the retail landscape.

Notable Quotes

• Anne Mezzenga ([00:00]): "The biggest surprise isn't what's changed, Chris, it's how many people don't know it's already there."
• Chris Walton ([01:05]): "I have to love anything by Walton Goggins."
• Chris Walton ([01:52]): "Walmart Plus beats Prime every day of the week and twice on Sundays, in my opinion."
• Anne Mezzenga ([02:05]): "Featuring every single thing in that hole from clogs to accordions are things that you can buy on Walmart."
• Chris Walton ([03:43]): "If I was Target, I'd be taking a hard look at him because he might actually be my number one choice."

Final Thoughts

"Walmart's Genius 'Who Knew?' Campaign" episode of Omni Talk Retail provides an insightful analysis of Walmart's strategic initiatives aimed at challenging Amazon's supremacy in the e-commerce sector. Through engaging discussions and expert commentary, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga highlight the campaign's effectiveness in showcasing Walmart's extensive product range, innovative services, and competitive membership benefits. The hosts commend the creative execution and leadership driving these changes, positioning Walmart as a dynamic and formidable player in the ever-evolving retail landscape.

For listeners who haven't yet tuned into this episode, it offers a comprehensive understanding of Walmart's latest strategies and their implications for the broader retail industry.

Transcript

[A]

Walmart has introduced a new ad campaign featuring Walton Goggins of the White Lotus fame. Under the tagline who knew? According to a Walmart press release, the campaign is meant to highlight how Walmart has changed, quote, a lot. The campaign highlights how Walmart now has more than half a billion items online and in its app, express delivery to your door in as little as one hour, A Walmart plus membership that gives you perks beyond groceries and a digital experience that's, well, better than most people realize because, quote, the biggest surprise isn't what's changed, Chris, it's how many people don't know it's already there.

[B]

I love when we have to quote the press releases. It's so great.

[A]

Yes. Chris, what's your assessment of Walmart's new who knew?

[B]

Who did? I mean? And in a nutshell, I think, I think, honestly, I love it. I think it's a brilliant move, particularly from the CMO William White's mind and more on him probably later, you know, if we have a time to get to it. But, you know, first, I mean, first of all, I have to love anything by Walton Goggins, like, shout out to the Walton, like, that's so great.

[A]

That was such a perfect pick. The casting for this was Walton Cloggins.

[B]

If you've seen the commercial. That's so great. Walton Cloggins. That's such a great little play on words. But strategically, I also love this because it says to Amazon shoppers, basically it says, like, look, everything you can get from Amazon, you can now get from us and more so because once you cross like a half billion item threshold, it's like, you know, having 600 million, 700 million, who cares at that point, right? And, but by the same token, with Walmart plus, you get so much more benefits. In Amazon prime, you get the gas discounts, you get the. I wrote, I wrote down everything here. You get in store returns, you get express delivery. So you know when. And it's cheaper. Yeah, it's like 50 bucks cheaper. I can't remember exactly, but it's like 50 bucks cheaper.

[A]

So, like the annual subscription.

[B]

The annual subscription for Walmart Plus. So Walmart plus beats prime every day of the week and twice on Sundays, in my opinion. So, yeah, I think this is a great campaign. Super smart, super brilliant.

[A]

What do you think?

[B]

You love it too, because you already kind of showed your hand on this one.

[A]

I thought it was a really great, you know, coming from my advertising background, I thought this was one of the great ways to just kind of play on the obvious theme, which is like just the Walton Goggins you're talking about, who knew you're featuring if you haven't seen the advertisement, it's so good, like just featuring every single thing in that hole from clogs to accordions are things that you can buy on Walmart. So I think it just was, it did a really great job of showing people hitting the point home. But I think most importantly, in addition to what this is telling people about Walmart is that in addition to what they can get from Amazon, you also have to think about the grocery and food elements that is so significant here. So all of these things in the entire universe of Walmart's marketplace, but then also with a Walmart plus membership, you also have access to groceries. And I think what's most significant to the people that I've been trying, I've been evangelizing the Walmart Plus.

[B]

Yeah, you're like the biggest human.

[A]

Oh my God, it's been amazing. But I think the thing that's most impressive for people is that should you decide you don't ever want to step foot in a Walmart or maybe for us it's not convenient for as convenient for you because you have to drive a little bit further right now. You can have the total Walmart experience, get all of those benefits and everything comes to you through the app, through the digital properties. You can return stuff through the app. Like everything that is in the Walmart system can come to you as a consumer. And I think that's where you really are starting to see the significance of this new demographic coming to Walmart.

[B]

I 100% agree. I mean, I don't think there's nothing more I would add to that. I think those points are dead on. It's a really smart play. You know, I mentioned William White before, former colleague of ours at Target. Ton of respect for him. You know, he potentially, you know, if I was, if I was Target, I'd be taking a hard look at him given his background and what he's doing here, to upscale Target to upscale Walmart in terms of the perception that it has across the nation as well. So I'm sure the Walmart folks aren't happy to hear me say that. But, but, and if I was, if I was the, if I was the Target board, I'd definitely be taking a hard look at him because he might actually be my, a number one choice.