WALMART FIELD EXPEDITION
The store is the marketing.
Go find it. Explore the prices, promotions, brands, and displays around the store. What is each one trying to get the shopper to notice, believe, or buy?
Your job: find the marketing hiding in plain sight.
You’re investigating how Walmart presents products, makes offers, and sells convenience. Look beyond the obvious ads. A price comparison, a package claim, or two products displayed together can give you something worth investigating.
- Explore the store.
Click the numbered areas in any order. Look across the store, then investigate at least three departments, including seasonal, toys, or electronics. You don’t need 24 written answers.
- Collect specific evidence.
Use each area’s prompt to spot a tactic. In your field guide or notes, record the sign’s wording, price, product placement, or other detail. Add the photo ID or where you observed it.
- Choose your final five.
Select five interesting marketing decisions from those departments. Explain the likely business objective, the marketing concept, your evidence, and what might change if the tactic disappeared.
How to participate and complete the assignment
At Walmart: Use the real store as your evidence. No purchase or employee interview is needed. Follow store rules and keep customers, employees, and payment details out of any photos.
Online: Open an area and examine Tyler’s photos, clips, and field notes. The galleries are still pending, so you can preview the prompts now and complete your evidence-based answers once the material is available.
With your class: Follow the instructor’s walkthrough, compare interpretations, and record the specific evidence behind yours.
What to turn in: Five short analyses in your field guide or a document, answering the questions under “Your final five.” Submit them wherever your instructor directs. This page does not collect or save your answers.
A useful distinction: “The premium cleaner costs more and promises longer protection” is an observation. “That claim may encourage shoppers to trade up” is an interpretation. You’d need more evidence to say it actually increased sales.
This is a working map. We’ll check department locations during the visit and add real photos to each area.