Walmart Connect’s Khurrum Malik: CTV Plus Linear TV Delivers 55% Reach Increase

Why It Matters

The ability to prove incremental, cross‑platform reach and sales ROI transforms Walmart Connect into a full‑funnel media hub, giving brands a scalable, measurable path to growth while reinforcing industry standards for data privacy and measurement.

Key Takeaways

• Walmart Connect achieved MRC accreditation for sponsored search
• Incrementality measurement shows $2.30 iROAS for search spend
• Combining Vizio, CTV, and linear TV boosts reach 55%
• Walmart Connect’s CTV ads now linked to measurable sales outcomes
• Data fidelity, privacy, and trusted partners essential for cross‑platform retail media

Summary

Walmart Connect senior executive Khurrum Malik used the forum to highlight the rapid evolution of retail media, from a lower‑funnel, on‑site placement to a multi‑surface storytelling engine that now includes CTV, linear TV and over‑the‑top platforms. He announced the company’s recent MRC accreditation for sponsored search and unveiled a new NGA search incrementality measurement that quantifies the dollar‑for‑dollar return, reporting a $2.30 iROAS for every advertising dollar spent. The discussion underscored concrete performance data: research with iSpot showed that pairing Vizio‑based ads with Walmart Connect CTV and a linear TV buy can lift reach by as much as 55 percent, while a Circana study found Walmart Connect’s search and media investments deliver 2.5‑times the iROAS of typical social‑media campaigns. Malik also emphasized the importance of closed‑loop measurement, data fidelity, and privacy‑first partnerships—citing The Trade Desk as a trusted DSP partner that extends shopper data across display, video, audio and CTV. Notable quotes included his “couch to cart to sale” framing of the brand‑to‑purchase journey and the assertion that “customer is number one,” reinforcing Walmart’s commitment to a net‑accretive ad experience. He highlighted the strategic acquisition of Vizio, which enables brand storytelling on television screens, and the ongoing push to prove incremental impact for advertisers. The implications are clear: advertisers can now leverage Walmart’s massive omnichannel footprint—4,600 stores and 150 million weekly shoppers—to drive both upper‑funnel awareness and lower‑funnel conversion with measurable ROI. As CTV measurement becomes more granular, Walmart Connect is positioned to set industry standards for cross‑platform retail media, while maintaining data privacy and partner trust, shaping the next wave of ad innovation through 2026.

Original Description

LAS VEGAS — Walmart Connect’s evolution from retail media network to comprehensive digital platform enables storytelling from “couch to cart to sales,” with research showing CTV advertising combined with linear TV delivers 55% reach increases.

“About a year ago, we launched Vizio, and we now have the ability to tell a story from a brand solution perspective on TV,” Khurrum Malik, VP marketing at Walmart Connect, told Beet.TV contributor David Kaplan at CES. “We did research with Ipsos that showed that when you invest in Vizio ads plus Walmart Connect and you combine that with linear, 55% increase in your reach — the classic upper funnel metric.”

This represents evolution beyond traditional retail media’s lower-funnel focus toward comprehensive brand storytelling capabilities.

MRC accreditation builds confidence

Walmart Connect achieved Media Rating Council accreditation for sponsored search in fall 2025, providing industry-standard validation for first-party click and impression metrics across desktop, mobile web, and in-app devices.

“MRC accreditation is important as we think about building confidence in the advertising industry,” Malik said. “What I’m more excited about is not just MRC accreditation, but advertisers asking for more value.”

Incrementality measurement has become critical, with Walmart launching search incrementality tools that demonstrate dollar-for-dollar returns on search investment.

Scale enables storytelling

Walmart Connect leverages 4,600 stores and 50 million weekly omnichannel customers to provide solutions spanning upper funnel brand building through lower funnel performance with closed-loop measurement capabilities.

“We love to spark sales for our advertisers, and retail media platforms we’re excited about is that we have scale,” Malik said.

Research comparing Walmart Connect search and media investments showed 2.5x better ROI performance versus social media norms, demonstrating advertiser value beyond traditional retail media metrics.

Privacy partnerships critical

Expanding retail data effectiveness beyond owned properties requires trusted partnerships that prioritize security and privacy while maintaining data sanctity across the open web.

“It’s really critical — security and privacy and work with partners that you have trusted relationships with,” Malik said, citing partnerships that activate shopper data on external platforms for display and audio advertising.

CTV drives measurable sales

The biggest 2026 innovation opportunity involves connecting upper-funnel storytelling through CTV to measurable sales outcomes, demonstrating how brand advertising drives search behavior and store conversions.

“We are being asked increasingly by advertisers about running a story on CTV — how does that drive search on walmart.com and how does that convert to sales?” Malik said. “I think new surfaces like CTV and then showing that it drives sales, that’s where the opportunity is.”