Instacart Unveils New Ad Solutions to Spark Out-of-Aisle Inspiration

CPG Brands Including Mondelez, The J.M. Smucker Co. and HORMEL FOODS® Are First To Pilot Recipes 

Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, announced 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 includes:

• 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 around specific themes or moments, like essentials for the perfect charcuterie board or summer barbeque supplies.
• Bundles: Strategic product pairings that allow consumers to quickly build a basket, like featuring laundry detergent, fabric softener, and dryer sheets together.

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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 around 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 be served 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.

“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.

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Select brand partners have been piloting recipes on Instacart with positive results:

“Instacart’s sponsored recipes are opening up exciting possibilities for Mondelez brands. We’ve been testing a pilot campaign featuring a recipe for Chips Ahoy! Ice Cream Pops, leveraging this new capability to transform a beloved snack into an enticing dessert idea for the summer season. By presenting our products within creative recipe contexts, we’re able to engage new consumers in unexpected ways outside of our traditional aisle. We’re enthusiastic about the potential of recipes to drive consideration and spark creativity,” said Francesca Hahn, VP of Digital Commerce at Mondelez.

“At The J.M. Smucker Co., we have established a full-funnel media strategy that allows us to meaningfully engage with consumers throughout their shopping journey. Instacart’s sponsored recipes feature is one way that we are able to make a meaningful connection with consumers while creatively representing our product portfolio. Featuring recipes like our Caramel Apple Pie Cold Brew and Strawberry Fruit Dip demonstrates how our portfolio of brands can deliver across all meal and snacking occasions while offering fresh ideas for enjoying our products in fun, unexpected ways,” said Kelly Sweeney, Director of Integrated Media at The J.M. Smucker Co.

“Instacart’s sponsored recipes have proven to be an exciting opportunity for HORMEL FOODS®. We’ve already seen success with our JENNIE-O® brand, testing delicious recipes like our Turkey Spinach Lasagna. The sponsored recipe capability allows us to connect with consumers at the moment of inspiration, turning everyday ingredients into exciting culinary experiences. We are also leveraging this tool to empower aspiring charcutiers, with a wide variety of charcuterie-board concepts, featuring products from COLUMBUS® Craft Meats. It is exciting to work creatively with Instacart, improving the convenience and ease of the shopping experience for our busy consumers,” said Leslie Lee, Vice President, Digital Experience Group at HORMEL FOODS®.

These new advertising capabilities build on Instacart’s existing full-funnel suite of advertising solutions – including sponsored product ads, display units, and shoppable display and video – which have already demonstrated significant value for the more than 5,500 CPG brands advertising on Instacart.