Instacart Announces New Shoppable Display + Shoppable Video Ads

Instacart is the leading online grocery platform in North America, and for good reason. Who doesn’t want access to thousands of products delivered right to your door? The platform has grown and evolved over the past few years and brands are eager to get their products in front of customers in new and exciting ways. Luckily, Instacart recently announced two new shoppable media solutions designed to do just that. Enter: Shoppable Display and Shoppable Video.

“We designed our new shoppable ad products to create more brand storytelling opportunities for CPGs, help them inspire and reach new and existing consumers, and ultimately drive sales in a singular unit. We see that these kinds of shoppable rich media experiences resonate with consumers as well, as we’re bringing more discovery and inspiration to the online shopping experience. We’re grateful to work with brand partners who have been excited to innovate with us and incubate these formats along the way to drive maximum impact.”

– Ali Miller, Vice President of Ads Product at Instacart

Source: Instacart

What is Shoppable Display & Shoppable Video?

The new Shoppable Display and Shoppable Video solutions were designed to bring together both imaginative story-telling and action. Let’s break down each of these new products and what they offer brands who advertise on Instacart and consumers who shop on Instacart.

Shoppable Display

According to Instacart, the new Shoppable Display feature blends personalized messaging, powerful imagery, and “add-to-cart” functionality to drive consideration and bigger baskets. With Shoppable Display, available via Self Service in Ads Manager, brands can easily deliver a more engaging shopping experience.

Source: Instacart

This new ad format, built off of Instacart’s display ads product, couples brand imagery with add-to-cart functionality to ultimately shorten the consumer buying journey. Advertisers also have the opportunity to pin together a bundle of items to inspire complementary or routine purchases. These ads are served in-line on the search results page for a native user experience, and brands can also provide users with direct links to product detail pages if they need additional details before purchasing. 

Once these Shoppable Display ads are launched and live, advertisers can measure the following metrics to track success:

• Impressions
• Clicks 
• CTR
• Direct sales
• Halo sales
• ROAS
• Halo ROAS

Shoppable Video

Instacart’s new Shoppable Video product, available via Self Service in Ads Manager, encapsulates all the features of Shoppable Display with an added video component. Shoppable Video gives brands the opportunity to capture a user’s attention with auto-play videos that engage shoppers on a new level. These in-line ads, targetable by behavior or keywords, allow brands to tell their story, share their products, and captivate consumers through the added use of motion and sound.

Shoppable Video also includes add-to-cart functionality in an aim to shorten the path from discovery to purchase. These attention-grabbing videos auto-play with the sound off and give users the ability to pause if needed. Videos are required to be a minimum of 3 seconds with a 30-second max – short and sweet is the name of the game here.

Source: Instacart

Once these Shoppable Video ads are launched and live, advertisers can measure the following metrics to track success:

• Impressions
• 2-second view
• Clicks
• Attributed sales
• View-through rate (VTR)
• ROAS
• CTR
• Halo sales
• Halo ROAS

Top Reasons Should Brands Use Shoppable Display & Shoppable Video

These new ad products from Instacart are innovative and exciting, but why should brands take advantage of them? Let’s break down a few top reasons brands should consider using Shoppable Display and Shoppable Video.

Maximize Your Reach – With Shoppable Display and Shoppable Video targeting solutions, your brand has the ability to reach customers via keyword and behavioral targeting. 

“Shoppable display and video provide a great opportunity for brands to take up additional real estate in Instacart result pages to drive consideration. In comparison to standard display units, these placements make it easier for shoppers to add an item to their cart. Since shoppable placements are below the fold (meaning you have to scroll to see them), they’re best used in combination with standard display and sponsored products when possible, to ensure your brand is visible no matter how shoppers are using the app.”