ITO EN Drives Online Growth and Consumer Engagement with Instacart Ads

ITO EN, the world leader in green tea and a champion for health and wellness, has leveraged Instacart Ads to accelerate online growth and deliver its signature beverage lineup to increasingly tech-savvy consumers. With an eye on convenience and consumer-centric innovation, ITO EN’s collaboration with Instacart demonstrates the power of ecommerce retail media in today’s grocery landscape.

Meeting Consumers Where They Are

Recognizing that its core consumers “over-index with online grocery shopping and live busy lives,” ITO EN began partnering with Instacart several years ago to reach health-conscious individuals where, and how, they shop. The brand has consistently evolved its advertising approach on the platform, tailoring its strategy to connect with digitally active consumers as preferences shift increasingly towards online shopping.

“Instacart gives us a platform to meet our consumers where they shop,” said Rob Smith, Chief Sales Officer at ITO EN. “It remains fundamental to our overall advertising strategy, enabling us to adjust our spend to target either low funnel conversion or higher funnel consumer acquisition and new brand engagement.”

Diverse Ad Formats Powering Incremental Results

Over the course of its Instacart partnership, ITO EN has utilized a spectrum of ad formats, from Sponsored Product and Shoppable Display ads to pioneering new opportunities like Occasions, Shoppable Video, and Free Gift promotions. Most recently, the brand participated in a beta test of the Occasions Ad Campaign, which generated more than 107,000 out-of-aisle impressions and drove a notable 24% of sales from new-to-brand consumers.

“We are pleased with our baseline Sponsored Ads results, and we deliver strong ROAS in our core campaigns,” noted Taisa Baucum, Marketing Manager at ITO EN. “Exploring new Instacart features has allowed us to expand our reach and effectively engage new consumers.”

A Strategic Partnership Fueling Innovation

ITO EN credits much of its sustained success on Instacart to strong collaboration with the Instacart team, “The Instacart team has made the engagement more dynamic,” explained Smith. “Their understanding of our brand objectives has been instrumental in guiding us towards new opportunities that are delivering impact.”

Ecommerce as a Growth Engine

As the shift towards online grocery continues across the United States, ITO EN reports sustained growth in ecommerce sales.

“Our online sales continue to grow and ecommerce remains a key channel for us,” said Baucum. “As more people shift to online grocery shopping for convenience and lifestyle reasons, we’re focused on meeting our customers where they are.”

Staying Ahead: What’s Next for ITO EN

Looking forward, ITO EN is committed to further experimentation with emerging Instacart ad formats, including evaluating Recipe Ads against other options such as Occasions Ads. The brand is also piloting new gift-with-purchase promotions to help introduce its green tea portfolio to new customers.

Additionally, ITO EN is investing in high-impact digital creative, leveraging its partnership with global baseball star Shohei Ohtani through new ad imagery and video to amplify brand awareness and drive further engagement on Instacart.

“Overall, we’re focused on experimenting with new strategies and staying ahead of the curve,” Baucum emphasized.

ITO EN’s ongoing partnership with Instacart illustrates how CPG brands can successfully grow and connect with digital-first consumers by leveraging innovative retail media strategies.

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