As more and more shoppers are turning to Walmart during these inflationary times, we wanted to humanize the brand and showcase the value Walmart provides, all while driving awareness and capturing attention on TikTok’s #fyp. And there’s no one better to share how to make the most of a budget than proud and loyal Walmart shoppers, whose unparalleled knowledge of the brand and savings-savvy shopping are more relevant and relatable in 2022 than ever.
To celebrate and amplify shoppers’ insider POVs, Walmart became the first big-box retailer to leverage TikTok’s beta Branded Mission, a new product that effectively engages creators to develop on-message content for brands, and rallied the community of shoppers on TikTok to share their best Walmart tips, tricks, and hacks. Anchored by the phrase “If You Walmart, You Know” and the hashtag #IYWYK, the Branded Mission gave brand fans a megaphone to create TikToks around a shared appreciation for Walmart.
We kicked off the campaign with a crew of diverse and talented TikTok creators—all real Walmart shoppers. Salah Brooks, Rocio Roses, Cyndi Hoffer and others showed us how they “Walmart,” bringing authentic #IYWYK perspectives and knowledge related to their passions for van life, beauty, decor and more. Their videos inspired other TikTok creators to join the conversation as we launched the #IYWYK Branded Mission.
Over the three-day Branded Mission campaign, the TikTok community responded with enthusiasm showing all the different ways they “Walmart” in their own voice, from finding the best $12 jeans in the men’s section to being the one-stop-shop for #vanlife and clever ways to use the Walmart app, revealing new Walmart shopper truths. As the content filled users’ #fyp across the platform, the conversation continued in the comments section, with TikTok users expressing delight in the #IYWYK tips and sharing their own stories of brand love.
Through #IYWYK, we opened a direct line to our shoppers and gathered UGC from hundreds of creators all sharing their own unique Walmart experiences. The Branded Mission engaged over 500 creators, drove 154.4MM video views, and generated a 20.55% engagement rate — 2x the benchmark engagement rate. Walmart also saw positive brand list study results, with significant increases in both ad recall (11.5%), brand awareness (11.1%) and a +2.8% increase in brand sentiment.
Beyond these metrics, we were able to give a voice to Walmart shoppers and show the diversity of value that Walmart brings by gathering shopper truths and insights that will continue to inspire relatable and ownable social content.
