Instacart Extends Retail Media Data to YouTube, Powering Shoppable Ads

Instacart has partnered with YouTube to make the video platform’s ads shoppable.

In this pilot, select consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand partners of Instacart will be able to use shoppable ads on YouTube to inspire consumers to purchase items for same-day delivery, Instacart said in a Monday (June 17) press release.

“We’re proud to continue bringing our world-class advertising capabilities to more platforms and unlocking innovative new touchpoints to connect brands and consumers,” Fidji Simo, CEO of Instacart, said in the release. “By expanding into shoppable YouTube ad formats, we’re merging the power of video creative with our valuable first-party data and seamless shopping experience.”

This new offering is powered by the online grocery platform’s first-party retail media data, which it is extending to YouTube, according to the release. This data will allow brands to identify and reach high-intent consumers.

In addition, Instacart’s fulfillment network will allow viewers-turned-shoppers to purchase the featured items for same-day delivery, the release said.

Two of the first Instacart partners to pilot this new capability are Clorox and Publicis Media, per the release.

“We’ve been quick to test new pilot offerings, including Instacart’s shoppable video ads on their platform, because we see the value of retail media to reach our target customers,” Tiffany Tan, senior director, eCommerce growth accelerator at Clorox, said in the release.

Joel Lunenfeld, CEO at Publicis Media Exchange, said in the release: “Retail media networks are a meaningful channel for our CPG clients because of their high-intent audiences at the point of purchase.”

Retail media solutions can help deliver targeted offers and turn persuadable shoppers into loyalists, PYMNTS reported Monday. Other companies that have recently rolled out retail media solutions include DoorDash and JPMorgan.

Instacart’s pilot project with YouTube comes about six months after the online grocery platform teamed up with Google to make Google Shopping ads accessible to Instacart’s advertising partners.

That partnership leverages Instacart’s first-party retail media data and closed-loop insights to help CPG partners reach high-intent consumers who are actively searching on Google.

In its Monday press release, Instacart said that the first brands to pilot this offering, which was launched in January, are seeing “promising results that validate the power of using retail media to make campaigns more performant beyond Instacart’s own platform.”