Back-To-College Social Media Campaign

Walmart x SCADpro

Click below to view the collaboration’s live posts on Walmart's official platforms:

Zodiac Dorm Decor

Dorm Tech Haul

Biology Majors be Like

GRWM: College Athlete Edition

Psych Majors be Like

Communication Majors be Like

Your Item Based on Your Zodiac Sign

Problem

Key Insight

Gen Z wants to be seen!

College can be an exciting yet challenging time, filled with opportunities and transitions that can make Gen Z feel isolated at times.

Gen Z wants to feel seen, and they want to be part of a community.

How can we portray Walmart as a safe and unique haven for Gen Z to find a sense of belonging within the brand’s tone? We explore the brand identity with three archetypes: the Hero, the Creator, and the Caregiver.

What does Gen Z gravitate towards on social media?

Several whiteboard sessions later, we identified five territories to explore that intersect Gen Z and social media trends: Astrology, Essentials of College Majors, Routine, Material Hauls, and Self-Care.

The Ask

Develop a social media activation that positions Walmart as the go-to digital destination for the Back to College experience that drives excitement for students and their broader network.

The Problem

Gen Z audiences are having a hard time connecting and creating loyalty to Walmart’s Back-To-College products and initiatives.

Key Insight

Gen Z gravitates towards reliability, and finding a deeper sense of belonging and community within brand messaging.

The Solution

Create 10 final deliverables to pitch to Walmart Creative that surround researched territories for Gen Z: Astrology, Essentials of College Majors, Routine, Hauls, and Self Care..

My Role

Brand Strategy Lead, Social Media Content Strategy Lead

Gen Z audiences have a disconnect with Walmart’s Back-To-College products & initiatives.

Walmart is a go-to destination for a wide range of affordable products, convenient omnichannel shopping options, and trendy casual items.

We started with understanding both Walmart’s and Gen Z’s needs and shared values to pinpoint intersections that we could build insights on.

We started to find opportunities on how Gen Z could find and want to keep Walmart on their screens more consistently.

Strategy

Get new and returning college students, to connect with Walmart for their Back-To-College needs, by creating an integrated social media campaign that engages college students with Walmart‘s innovative and trend-forward offerings, because Walmart believes in convenience, accessibility, and fostering positive experiences for college students’ journeys.

The Solution

Five short-format videos explore curated territories to connect to our target audience for Walmart’s Back to College initiatives.

Four meme-style GIFs that add a sense of humor and establish reliability to a college student’s shopping experience based on the student’s major.

Each short-format video is paired with a corresponding caption and hashtags.

Each meme-style GIF is paired with a corresponding caption and hashtags.

Four carousel posts combine illustration and motion media with photography to highlight different hero products while following the territories established in the deliverables.

This seven screen carousel pairs with an Astrology theme and assigns relatable hero prodcuts to college students for every zodiac sign.

This two screen carousel pairs with a Routine theme that uses expectation vs. reality humor.

This two screen carousel pairs with a Haul theme that uses expectation vs. reality humor.

This three screen carousel pairs with a Self-care theme and showcases hero products in a familiar and comforting composition of college student’s dorm room.

Results

The Walmart Creative Team chose and posted 7 of our team’s finalized deliverables (linked above).

The campaign gained an estimated 45k initial views, received overwhelming positive engagement, and increased positive brand perception via online interactions.

Walmart saw increased Walmart mobile app traffic from Social Media for Back-to-College hero products.

Each carousel post is paired with a corresponding caption and hashtags.

(The presented captions and hashtags represent WIP visuals)

The Team