Walmart Partners with Publicis Groupe for Media

Publicis Groupe will lead media planning and buying for Walmart U.S. The announcement comes after Walmart conducted an extensive agency evaluation for a media agency to support its future growth and brand-building initiatives.

Publicis Groupe is a France-based advertising agency that recently acquired retail media company CitrusAd. CitrusAd has extensive partnerships with a number of mass retailers that have recently launched their own retail media platforms, from Petco to Gopuff and Target’s Roundel. 

According to Walmart, Publicis Groupe will play an integral role in advancing the retailer’s omnichannel media solutions. Publicis Groupe will focus on media strategy, planning, buying and partnerships, with the work transitioning immediately. Publicis Groupe, which has had a long-standing relationship with Walmart from a creative perspective, will also work with Walmart’s collective marketing agency roster, including Deutsch LA and FCB.

The RFP process was overseen by consulting firm MediaLink. The announcement comes as Walmart is set to reveal its upcoming quarterly earnings report. Its most recent report revealed U.S. Q1 comp sales grew 6% and 16% on a two-year stack. Looking ahead, Walmart is focused on its omnichannel business strategy.