At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week, Omnicom Media revealed a new collaboration that combines Walmart purchase data with Meta’s influencer ecosystem to help brands make smarter decisions about which creators to work with.
The initiative links Walmart Connect’s first party, purchase based insights with the audience data available on Meta’s platforms, particularly Instagram, enabling Omnicom’s influencer agency Creo to identify creators whose followers are more likely to buy products and services. Instead of relying on follower counts or basic demographics, the approach aims to show what an influencer’s audience actually purchases giving brands deeper insight into influencer performance and potential conversion.
According to Joanna O’Connell, North American Chief Intelligence Officer at Omnicom Media, influencers are increasingly important in shaping consumer decisions. She noted that among people who said they purchased something because of an influencer, 42% did so spontaneously, challenging traditional understandings of the purchase funnel.
Omnicom has previously tapped Walmart’s purchase data in partnerships with other platforms, including TikTok last year and expanding the effort to Meta opens up a broader field of influencers and audiences for brands to work with.
“It’s really making influencer selection much more data driven, much more addressable,” said Megan Pagliuca, Chief Product Officer at Omnicom Media North America. Combining purchase and social data gives advertisers a clearer picture of who might truly move the needle.
Walmart Connect also welcomed the expanded partnership, emphasizing how retail media data can connect real customers with influencer audiences more precisely. Ryan Mayward, Senior Vice President of Retail Media Sales at Walmart Connect, said the collaboration reflects the growing role of retail-based targeting in influencer marketing.
From Meta’s side, Simon Whitcombe, Vice President and Head of Meta’s Global Business Group for North America, highlighted that the tool builds on Meta’s existing creator discovery capabilities and represents a promising avenue for brands and creators to work together more effectively.
Early adopters of the system, including Bimbo Bakeries U.S., reported that integrating Walmart’s purchase insights into influencer selection is helping deepen customer loyalty and turn social engagement into measurable outcomes especially in consumer goods categories.
By tying real purchase behavior to influencer audiences, Omnicom Media hopes to offer advertisers a more precise and performance-oriented way to plan and execute influencer campaigns, moving beyond popularity metrics toward measurable business impact.
