Sam’s Club Expands Video Advertising Capabilities

Sam's Club Member Access Platform (MAP), the warehouse chain’s retailer media network, has rolled out full-funnel video advertising onsite, in-app and offsite to create a more engaging experience for club members wherever they are in their buying and inspiration journey.

According to HubSpot Blogs survey research, 66% of consumers said they have watched video content (e.g., product demos, reviews, FAQs and unboxings) to learn about a brand or product.

“At Sam’s Club MAP, we are always looking for new ways to bring more value to our members, and building an additive ads experience across video ad formats enables us to do that in a brand-safe and high-engagement environment,” Lex Josephs, vice president and general manager of Sam's Club MAP, said in a media release. “We know our members stay engaged longer and show stronger click-through rates when we serve them up videos, and our new capabilities will help advertisers engage our members with video advertising.”

These additions allow advertisers to layer connected TV (CTV) ads, sponsored videos and interactive videos with first-party member data to reach new-to-brand and lapsed members, drive awareness for new item launches and create a synergistic video experience through “sophisticated” targeting, per the release. Specifically:

• CTV ads: If members are watching content on a streaming device, they will see relevant MAP CTV advertisements through a partnership with The Trade Desk (TTD) that enables advertisers to engage members across brand-safe third-party premium inventory.
• Sponsored videos: When members search for items in the Sam’s Club app, MAP serves them sponsored product ads that drive awareness and consideration by visually telling a brand and item’s story within the search grid on search results pages.
• Interactive videos: Product detail page (PDP) videos from interactive video firm eko (which Walmart has invested in and partners with) let members digitally engage with an item, explore how it works, key features, dimensions and more details.

These solutions also provide advertisers with performance metrics while campaigns are still in flight. CTV ads and sponsored videos will be measurable through the Sam’s Club MAP media and sales performance dashboard. Additionally, interactive videos are compliant with Video Ad Serving Template (VAST) tagging standards, so they support effective video delivery, tracking and measurement, per the release.

“Combining the power of video with Sam’s Club’s first-party data is a major milestone for PepsiCo,” Mic Zavarella, vice president, marketing, PepsiCo, said in the release. “MAP’s new video solutions will allow us to reach members at pivotal moments throughout their shopping journey, with highly engaging and relevant product information that will help drive purchase decisions — all with measurable results.”

CTV’s Rapid Growth

CTV ad spending is projected to exceed $30 billion in the U.S. in 2024, making it one of the fastest-growing ad formats, according to eMarketer. Its effectiveness in influencing user behavior makes it crucial for advertisers to leverage across their campaigns.

Sam’s Club says its CTV ads are a “vital component” of a full-funnel strategy, along with offsite display and retargeting, that enable advertisers to reach members at every step of the shopping journey and build custom member audiences and campaigns. They leverage AI to optimize conversions and ROAS based on viewership, behavior and frequency. 

Advertisers can reach “incremental cord-cutting” audiences with precise targeting combined with advanced campaign performance measurement and attributed omnichannel sales results, per the release.

Sponsored Videos in Search Grids

MAP’s sponsored videos give advertisers the ability to place video in search grids.

Advertisers can use sponsored videos to launch new items and promote basket building. Additionally, clicking on the video directs members to the related item page, and they can add an item to their carts directly from the ad. Advertisers will have access to sponsored product ads campaign and omnichannel closed-loop sales performance in Sam’s Club’s single self-service dashboard.

Moreover, Sam’s Club says its partnership with eko allows its advertisers to create an “in-club experience” through the PDPs, allowing members to explore every aspect of an item.