Welcome to Future Commerce Rewind, where we compare stories in commerce today to episodes from the archives. This week, we’re playing back VISIONS speaker Justin Breton’s 2024 episode on Walmart Realm.

When Walmart entered immersive digital experiences, it wasn’t chasing hype—it was rethinking how the brand shows up in everyday digital life. In this rewind from August 2024, Justin Breton, Director of Brand Experiences, shares how Walmart Realm launched as a gamified marketplace blending culture, commerce, and creativity.

Since then, Walmart has scaled its virtual ambitions with “Walmart Discovered” on Roblox, real-world commerce in gaming, and the debut of “Walmart Unlimited.” What began as an experiment is now central to Walmart’s immersive commerce strategy.

• Walmart Realm was never about conversions; it was about discovery. Today, Walmart's investments in platforms like Roblox and Spatial have validated that focus, with real-world commerce now integrated directly into those ecosystems.
• Justin avoided the term "metaverse," even when it was a buzzword. Instead, his team focused on familiarity and ritual, and that framing holds up. The strategy now connects digital shoppers with creators, brands, and immersive experiences they already love.
• Walmart has scaled its creator-driven experiences, including collaborations with Drew Barrymore and Netflix, helping drive co-created virtual spaces that reflect real-world partnerships.
• The early embrace of immersive storytelling now informs Walmart’s content commerce and livestreaming efforts, with shoppable moments and branded narrative arcs that feel more like cultural touchpoints than retail plays.
• With new initiatives like Walmart Unlimited and its expanded Spatial footprint, Walmart is setting the stage for a generation of consumers who see shopping as play, story, and community.
• Justin joined the lineup of speakers at VISIONS Summit: NYC this summer. Subscribe to our newsletters and check out our recap on Insiders to catch highlights from the event.

• Explore Walmart Realm
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• Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world
• Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce

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Positionless marketing isn’t just a framework—it’s a return to how work once was: flexible, intuitive, and deeply human. In this episode, Phillip, Pini, and Optimove’s VP of Product, Shai Frank, unpack how cultural mindset, military experience, and generative AI converge to create teams that move with speed and creativity.

Listen to decode how technology and ambition together can strip away organizational friction, empower self-sufficient marketers, and dramatically improve customer experience. It’s not about removing roles—it’s about removing blockers.

1. Positionless marketing is more cultural than structural. It’s not about tearing down departments—it’s about cultivating people who take initiative without waiting for permission. That mindset, modeled after Israeli military culture, is what truly drives speed and creativity.
2. "Big-headedness" is a feature, not a flaw. Shai introduces the idea of “big-headed” employees—those who embrace ambition without being told—as essential to modern teams. In fast-paced orgs, initiative is a strategic asset.
3. Creative execution is no longer gated. With tools like Optimove's Canvas and embedded brand controls, marketers can produce polished, on-brand campaigns without relying entirely on designers or developers.
4. CRM is shifting from broadcast to orchestration. Instead of blasting segments, marketers can now trigger context-aware journeys that consider history, behavior, and optimal timing—raising the bar for customer experience.
5. AI isn’t about acceleration alone—it’s about ambition. When friction is removed from creative and technical processes, teams don’t just move faster—they aim higher.

• “Being small-headed means you’re just an order-taker. A big-headed person says, ‘You asked for A and B, but I saw it also needed C and D, so I did that—and prepped for E.’ That’s what we look for.” – Pini Yakuel
• “Who said the first message should be the one you send? We don’t want to serve the first—we want to serve the best.” – Shai Frank
• “If it used to take eight weeks to get a campaign out, now it might take two days. That frees up time to actually be creative.” – Shai Frank
• “If you don’t create good customer experiences, people will leave. This isn’t a moral imperative—it’s survival.” – Shai Frank

• Learn more about Optimove’s platforms
• Learn more about Positionless Marketing
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• Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world
• Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce

Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

Bestselling author and journalist Jo Piazza is best known as the host of the Under the Influence podcast, which boasts over 25 million downloads. Piazza is the author of the upcoming thriller Everyone is Lying to You, which dissects the rise of ‘trad wife’ influencers and the multi-billion-dollar industry built on selling idealized domesticity.

Drawing on her background in investigative journalism, which has covered everyone from Donald Trump to mommy bloggers, Piazza reveals how traditional values have become the latest form of performance marketing.

• "Everyone is lying to you. They're creating a magazine; they're creating a TV show. Most of this is not their real life. When you look at it like it's actually media and not a glimpse into someone's window, I think then you can let go of some of the guilt and the shame, but you're still going to buy the shit." - Jo Piazza [10:40]
• "The funniest thing about trad wives is they're encouraging all of these women to quit their jobs and rely on a man. I'm like, where are all these rich men that just want to make enough money to support a family? The average male income is something around $60,000 and the average American household spends $70,000. So the math does not add up in this equation." - Jo Piazza [19:12]
• "You can now rent entire houses for your influencer content. You can rent out a house with the beautiful kitchen and the pristine countertops. You can even rent a bathroom that's beautiful for your get-ready-with-me routine. And then [you can] shoot all of your content in it for one day. It's not your actual freaking house, but no one knows that." - Jo Piazza [13:31]
• "We're all brands. We're all trying to create something online. I'm very honest about this. I want people to buy my damn books. And so that means I have to post on social media." - Jo Piazza [26:35]

• Order Everyone Is Lying to You by Jo Piazza
• Check out Future Commerce on YouTube
• Check out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and print
• Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world
• Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce

Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!