PepsiCo is using Walmart Connect as a full-funnel “shopper engagement network,” not just a performance channel. At POSSIBLE in Miami Beach, PepsiCo’s Mark Kirkham and Walmart Connect’s Kyle McWhirter described how shopper signals from a new prebiotic cola launch reshaped targeting, creative, pricing, and even national go-to-market plans.
Key Takeaways
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Retail media as launch lab: PepsiCo used an early Black Friday e-commerce test with Walmart to gather shopper data on its prebiotic cola, then used those signals to refine messaging, targeting, pricing architecture, and retail sell-in ahead of the broader February rollout.
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Creative follows real-time insight: Shopper behavior showed “great Pepsi taste” beat functional prebiotic claims as the lead message, prompting PepsiCo to rapidly adjust assets and use dynamic creative to tailor emphasis on taste, no artificial ingredients, and benefits by audience.
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From transactional to co-created: Kirkham and McWhirter framed retail media as a product-launch intelligence system, arguing that brands should move beyond one-size-fits-all national blasts toward omnichannel, data-led launches built on early data sharing, joint planning, and co-creation with retail partners.
