A captivating display ad holds the power to inspire, enlighten and delight customers—leading them from scroll to shop. However, in a digital environment where attention is precious currency, crafting captivating ads is every marketer's challenge. That’s why we did research to uncover what makes a top-performing ad on Walmart Connect. We used a combination of research approaches including in-market performance data, customer surveys and neuro-research. We’ve distilled these insights into a useful guide that can help you take your display creative from good to great.

Top takeaways:¹

• Help your ad break through: It’s often hard for people to tell you why they notice or like an ad. That’s because before they can even form a conscious thought, they’ve subconsciously processed what they saw. We break down how to tap into automatic responses using contrast, color, and motion to help an ad stand out and appeal to Walmart customers. 

• Enhance brand perception and memorability: We dive into how to improve the way customers view and remember your brand by integrating your brand closely and consistently with a desired look, feeling, idea, or benefit— whether it's on Walmart's properties or in offsite placements. 

• Unleash the full potential of creative on driving connections: The impact ad creative has on a customer’s social and emotional network serves as a key part in how they perceive and respond to ads. We explore how certain creative decisions, like the types of imagery or messaging you use, can impact the strength of the connection you can make with Walmart customers.  

This guide is intended to support advertisers of all sizes who are developing Walmart Connect onsite and offsite display creative. It is not a rulebook, but instead provides a set of tools that can guide your creative decision-making. Based on our research, leveraging creative best practices for your Walmart Connect ads can help boost brand memorability & positive association by 50%² and help drive a 31% higher CTR compared to category benchmarks.³

Download the guide here to explore the ART of creating effective display ads that capture the carts and minds of Walmart customers. 

This content is brought to you by Lightbox Creative, the in-house creative team that helps suppliers drive business results with Walmart Connect’s retail media solutions through best-in-class creative. Learn more about Lightbox Creative and their mission here.

Sources: ¹NielsenIQ BASES Creative Neuro-research, November 2023. ²NielsenIQ BASES Creative Neuro-research, November 2023, based on subconscious brand connection scores for Walmart Connect best-in-class display ads compared to NielsenIQ’s global database of 10,000+ ads. ³Walmart first-party data FY23 & FY24 (02/01/2022 – 01/31/2023 & 02/01/2023 – 01/31/2024); Based on the average CTR of Walmart Connect best-in-class display ad campaigns compared to the median of the category CTR benchmark ranges. Best-in-class display ad campaigns selected based on adherence to creative best practices.