The following campaign earned a 2026 OmniShopper Award from the Path to Purchase Institute for Best Retail Media Activation.
Business challenge: Mars Snacking needed to drive demand for its confectionary brands at critical retail partner Walmart during the highly competitive Halloween season.
Objective: The goal was to drive awareness early in the season, sustain consideration momentum throughout the period, and convert shoppers as the holiday drew near.
Activation strategy: Running from late August through Halloween, the integrated media campaign used upper-, mid-, and lower-funnel touchpoints coordinated with partner Walmart Connect to move shoppers from inspiration to purchase:
- Connected TV and social media (TikTok, influencers) programs provided reach.
- Offsite display ads leveraging Walmart Connect’s dynamic creative optimization tools reinforced consideration.
- Onsite activation (home page, sponsored search, and display) helped close conversion on Walmart.com and in stores.
The omnichannel execution also encompassed CTV retargeting, sponsored video, in-store merchandising, and participation in the seasonal, multi-supplier OneWalmart campaign for food, which provided inclusion in Walmart.com’s Halloween hub and participation in experiential parking lot events, as well as additional onsite and CTV advertising.
The plan delivered a truly strategic, full-funnel activation that unified broad-reach media, onsite conversion drivers, and event moments in an impactful seasonal plan that also helped Walmart showcase its Express Delivery services across various touchpoints.
Results: The program delivered both brand visibility and measurable business impact across the Walmart shopper’s journey, exceeding expectations for incremental return on investment and new-to-brand purchases — the latter in terms of both buyers and sales. The shopper-to-buyer rate among consumers exposed to the campaign across multiple touchpoints was also impressive, proving the value of coordinated, full-funnel activation.
