A man talks on his mobile phone in front of a Walmart store in Sao Paulo, Brazil on February 16 2016. Picture: REUTERS/Nacho Doce Walmart may launch a platform that will use social media influencers to help the retailer and its 100,000 third-party sellers promote their goods and services online, according to trademark filings.
Walmart works with influencers to promote its groceries and apparel, as well as its Walmart+ loyalty programme. Influencers often have large followings on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok and recommend products by posting affiliate links. They earn a commission when a customer uses the link to make a purchase.
Companies file trademarks for many reasons and filings do not always lead to a company launching a new product or service.Walmart’s third-party sellers can currently purchase ads from Walmart Connect, the retailer’s digital advertising business. Walmart Connect raked in $2bn in revenue for its ad business last fiscal year, the company said during its February earnings call.
“The relationship between digital growth, marketplace growth, advertising is something that we’re trying to take advantage of,” Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said on the second-quarter earnings call on Tuesday.