America’s most famous supermarket chain (along with Costco, of course) has just released an incredible announcement about their next project. Walmart has chosen, believe it or not, Disney, with whom they are going to do something that has been rumored since the beginning of the year. The reason why is going to make you angry, and you will see it more and more over the next few months: it has to do with this you do when you shop.
Walmart sparks controversy: its latest strategy is not convincing
In 2024, two American giants – Walmart and Disney – made a partnership that was surprising for the business world. Wait a moment, it was no more than the two sides of the coin and it seems more than enough to our advantage. On the top, it is like a win-win situation.
Yet, an in-depth analysis shows that it even leaves dark traces to consumer privacy and corporate competition. There is this uncommon partnership between the companies demonstrating how far they will be ready to go in relation to power and data.
The agreement permits Walmart to access the Disney’s well-known streaming services to get more information about consumers. Disney rather gains the widest possible exposure and scale. Other channels also serve as an important source of income for the brand through increased exposure and scale.
Nevertheless, it goes beyond what these businesses’ economic impacts are. This undertaking of collaboration can be harmful to people, as it may involve the disclosure of personal data, cutting the number of options, and the concentration of corporate power.
Walmart and Disney are betting on doing this: you’ll see it almost every day
In the beginning of May 2024, the partnership between Walmart and Disney happened and unexpectedly it caught eye of both the retail and entertainment industry. The companies the companies seized the opportunity to pool their data and technology in order to optimize their stream services as well as shop experiences.
The crux of the alliance is that data is used to deliver specific ads to consumers. Disney will dive into data such as users’ viewing habits on the platforms namely: Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ which will help find singles out in the gallery of potential customers for Walmart to connects with.
In return, walmart will make Disney an offer to allowed getting the access to the customer information from the walmart. Online and bricks-and-mortar branches are what a company called Walmart is all about. Through the data share, companies aim to improve the quality of ads and to provide more personalized experiences.
The partnership is the first of its kind when a major retailer and entertainment company share data together. Even though it is coming as a surprise, the move reflects a new direction that Walmart and Disney would like to be in, with the data-driven advertising being at the front.
A violation of privacy? Here’s what the two companies say
Walmart is poised to have a big advantage in the advertising sector thanks to this partnership with Disney. Now, they can see their demographics, interests and watching patterns to increase their targeted ads to the largest audience possible who can be turned into customers.
Walt Disney now has more than 100 million global subscribers and that is a considerable number of purchasers that Walmart can now realize. So, with the knowledge of their viewing habits and interests that can be easily gotten through Disney+, Walmart can provide offers and product recommendations to each user.
By seamlessly integrating their streaming service with their superstore chain and leveraging the wealth of data from Disney+, this company is able to micro-target their promotional efforts to increase and boost their online retail business.
As you can see, the Walmart and Disney deal is here to stay, despite the controversies that are swirling around the issue. In fact, there are those who claim that it is a serious violation of data protection, although we have been able to corroborate that in no case is this the case. The use of personalized profiles for advertising, as long as it is authorized, is a legal and frequent practice in America.
