Instacart Thinks Outside of the 'Aisle'
Instacart has launched new advertising solutions to enhance consumer discovery and brand engagement on its platform. These tools expand Instacart's on-platform advertising capabilities beyond traditional in-aisle placements. In a grocery store, consumers might find crackers next to the cheese counter, or salsa next to tortilla chips. Instacart's new tools pair that same ease and inspiration with the flexibility of the digital shelf, helping brands curate more immersive experiences for consumers across every aisle.
The new suite of merchandising solutions consists of:
- Recipes: Visual ad units with meal ideas to inspire consumers featuring branded and complementary products – like finding a recipe for chicken pot pie while shopping for chicken, helping to feature a pastry dough brand.
- Occasions: Curated collections that encourage cross-aisle exploration and discovery in regard to specific themes or moments, like essentials for the perfect charcuterie board, or summer barbecue supplies.
- Bundles: Strategic product pairings that allow consumers to quickly build a basket, like featuring laundry detergent, fabric softener and dryer sheets together.
These solutions provide advertisers with flexible ways to reach consumers outside their traditional shopping aisles, promoting both brand discovery and conversion. Brands can pair their own products across different categories in their portfolio as well as with other brands to effectively merchandise in response to a theme or seasonal moment. This enables brands to reach consumers with a curated experience at a moment that might not be possible with their products alone.
For example, a consumer searching the produce aisle for spinach might receive a spinach lasagna recipe and be inspired to try it. This not only supports meal and occasion planning, but also enables consumers to quickly add all necessary ingredients to their cart. These "out-of-aisle" placements create a more dynamic shopping experience while helping brands showcase their products in context and inspire new audiences and routines.
Recipes are currently available to select CPG advertisers. Brands such as Mondelez, The J.M. Smucker Co. and Hormel Foods have reportedly been piloting recipes, with positive results. Occasions and bundles are set to begin piloting in the coming months.
"Instacart's marketplace is a space where inspiration meets convenience. We're excited to offer brands the opportunity to reach consumers out of traditional aisle placements in a way that feels timely and relevant. We want consumers to be able to explore new products, find recipe inspiration, and engage with their favorite brands throughout their shopping journey as they build their carts. We're grateful to our pilot brand partners who have provided valuable feedback as we've built and tested these new experiences, and we're looking forward to continuing to innovate together," said Ali Miller, VP of advertising product at Instacart.
Other advertising solutions offered by Instacart include sponsored product ads, display units, and shoppable display and video.
The San Francisco-based company teams with more than 1,500 national, regional and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from 85,000-plus stores across North America on the Instacart Marketplace.
