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BOSTON — Super Bowl XLIX has yet to kick off, but Walmart has already struck pay dirt with its savvy use of search engine marketing to drive sales of the snack items millions of Americans will consume during the broadcast of the big game.
Super Bowl XLIX has yet to kick off, but Walmart has already struck pay dirt with its savvy use of search engine marketing to drive sales of the snack items millions of Americans will consume during the broadcast of the big game.
That’s according to a survey from Clavis Insight, a consulting firm that aims to help grocers and consumer packaged goods companies adjust to an omnichannel world.
Clavis says it looked at how brands were using keyword terms in paid-search ads leading up to the NFL championship game between the Patriots and the Seahawks.
Clavis found that PepsiCo Inc.’s Frito Lay brand was dominating keyword search activity at the websites of four grocery retailers (Walmart, Target Corp., Amazon.com Inc. and Peapod Inc.).
The brand appeared in the top search position in three of the four sites when consumers searched on “chips,” according to Clavis.
Searches on “dips” were most likely to turn up Tostito’s (owned by Frito Lay) and Pace salsa, owned by Campbell Soup Co.
The analysis found that Walmart offered the broadest selection of chips and dips, and that the retailer made it easier for shoppers to find popular snack items from its homepage.
The most common items returned against “Super Bowl party” searches from Walmart.com were peanuts, Cheez-It, Snickers, Twix, Chex Mix and M&M’S.
The Clavis researchers said Amazon.com fumbled an opportunity to drive Super Bowl snack sales — as well as related items such as paper plates and plastic cups — through better search-engine marketing.
Searches of "Super Bowl party" at Amazon.com turned up birthday party items, not the snacks the football fans are likely to buy for sustenance during the broadcast, according to Clavis.
"The analysis shows how important it is for retailers and manufacturers to take a multichannel view to category management," says Clavis Insight’s Supriya Chaudhury. "Integrating e-commerce and online presence in a seamless fashion is a clear opportunity for CPG brands. Walmart clearly is grasping this and is well positioned to win."
