'Influencers' look to accent Walmart - Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Walmart Inc.'s team of about 500 employees who volunteer to be in-house social media influencers are uploading posts to Instagram and TikTok for the retailer's new program called Spotlight.

An influencer, according to Merriam-Webster.com, is "one who exerts influence; a person who inspires or guides the actions of others." The dictionary also gives a second, modern definition: "A person who is able to generate interest in something (such as a consumer product) by posting about it on social media."

A Walmart spokeswoman said the Spotlight program's purpose is "to give our associates an opportunity to connect with customers where they are."

"More and more, that's on social media," she said. "We want to build strong relationships with customers on these platforms through the shared interests of storytelling and creativity."

Currently only salaried employees can participate in Spotlight, but the spokeswoman said that's just a starting point. As the company learns from the initiative and gets feedback on it, the program will be opened up to more workers nationwide, she said.

Spotlight influencers are required to use the identifier #iworkatwalmart when they create a post, the spokeswoman said. Although users outside the program may use the hashtag, she said, this is be best way to find consistent users.

The volunteers don't get any extra pay, but Carol Spieckerman, a retail consultant and president of Spieckerman Retail, said it is her understanding they'll be rewarded with product perks from sponsoring companies. Besides, "it is a voluntary program so the opt-in is there," she said.

According to industry publication Modern Retail, Spotlight grew out of an earlier program called My Local Social in which Walmart employee volunteers posted on behalf of their stores. But Spotlight, which the Bentonville-based company started testing earlier this year, "is designed to showcase a behind-the-scenes look at life at Walmart," the trade publication said.

In a November post on Facebook-owned Instagram, a Spotlight member who goes by drlaurencastle wrote about how the new subscription program Walmart Plus has benefited her family. She also included quotes from Walmart's latest earnings report.

Other Spotlight members use the short-form video app TikTok, in which Walmart has sought to acquire a share. Posts include dancers wearing Walmart clothing and people showing off their closets or homes filled with items from Walmart.

On Friday , Walmart held an hourlong livestream apparel shopping event for users of the platform. Walmart's U.S. chief marketing officer, William White, said in a news release Thursday that the shoppable livestream was TikTok's first in the United States.

The retailer chose to use Instagram and TikTok for the Spotlight program because that's where its customers are spending their time, the Walmart spokeswoman said. These "are two popular places on the internet right now for both our associates and our customers," she said.

Walmart is not alone in turning to employees to post company-positive messages. A Google search showed that other businesses doing so include Amazon.com, Dell, Dunkin', Mastercard Inc. and Huawei.

According to the 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report, an online survey found that 74% of consumers turn to friends, family and social media for purchasing advice rather than to paid advertising. About 63% of respondents said they trust what influencers say more than what a company or brand says about itself.

Spieckerman said employee-powered programs like Spotlight "help message authenticity and provide positive content that can be leveraged any number of ways." She suggested that TikTok videos from Spotlight may show up at the next Walmart shareholders event.

"The question is who should host these conversations and where," Spieckerman said. When retailers own or manage the platform, she said, "they have a lot more control, yet it also requires active management and oversight."

Negative employee posts that go viral on social media are an obvious source of concern for retailers and Spotlight may be seen as a mitigator, Spieckerman said, but "that probably isn't its main goal."

"It makes sense to continually look at ways to tap the large scale of Walmart's workforce for positive purposes," she said. "In this case, retailers are always seeking feel-good content that promotes their brands."

But Walmart doesn't prepare a script that employees must stick to, the company's spokeswoman said.

"This effort is about encouraging associates to find and use their voice and speak honestly about who they are and how they feel about things," she said.

Programs like Spotlight also give Walmart sway with suppliers, Spieckerman said.

"Walmart can continue to position as a viable content and advertising hub for brand marketers," she said. "Programs like Spotlight put the pressure on brand marketers to prioritize support of Walmart's in-house content and promotional efforts."

As for how successful posting this kind of company-sanctioned content has been for retailers, "not everything that matters can be measured and much of social media still falls under that principle," Spieckerman said.

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