Instacart
Product Focused Campaign Strategy
The Ask
Create a campaign to promote Instacart’s Fast Delivery Product.
The Problem
Instacart Fast Delivery is losing differentiation with rising competition.
The Solution
Instacart, your shopping insurance, here to make forgetting groceries okay.
Product Background
In 2021, Instacart introduced their fast delivery service in order to continue gains following the pandemic. They found that a lot of consumers who used Instacart only did so for large delivery orders and would still run to the store for a small number of items, so they found an opportunity to create
“the online express lane checkout” through this product.
While Fast Delivery helped InstaCart maintain sales from the pandemic, it achieved little impact in increasing gains post-pandemic.
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Their market share has become stagnant since 2020, with a .2% decrease from 2023 to 2024. -Oberlo, 2024
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The overall market on the other hand has seen a .45 trillion $ increase since 2020, indicating that Instacart is falling behind. -Statista, 2024
Why didn’t Fast Delivery have more of an impact for InstaCart?
Problem :
Instacart Fast Delivery is losing differentiation with rising competition.
Instacart has lost their first mover advantage due to rising competition from both angles:
launched early, 2024
launched early, 2024
Other grocery delivery stores are also finding this opportunity and have created their own small order, fast delivery options.
launched early, 2024
launched early, 2024
Food delivery services who are well known and used for small delivery orders have broadened into offering speedy grocery delivery.
The category has all fallen under the realm of marketing speedy delivery.
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DoorDash : “Fresh groceries in 30 minutes”
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Walmart Plus : “Order Online and get it all fast”
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Amazon Fresh : “The food shop just got speedier”
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InstaCart : “Fast as 30 minutes, groceries made easy”
Opportunity:
Instacart can position itself as the go-to Fast Delivery service for small orders by capturing a differentiated space in consumers' minds that is more than just fast.
What makes consumers resort to these small delivery orders?
A look into how consumers feel when grocery shopping:
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Overstimulated: By the overwhelming lights, sounds, smells, and endless options to choose from.
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Judged: For what others think of what is or is not in their carts and how that might reflect upon them.
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Socially Anxious: By the hoards of people rushing around, and the likely chance of a human interaction at the store.
“I...found myself just aimlessly wandering down isles feeling overwhelmed, not really grabbing much of anything - on the verge of tears … This isn’t always the case but sometimes being in a grocery store just makes me feel insane.” -Reddit, 2021
“It takes me SO long to get groceries. I make lists but when I’m there I just get flustered. I feel pressured to hurry, I take too long to make decisions then I leave with only half of what I came for.” -Reddit, 2021
They Just Forget!
Insight:
Grocery shoppers' overwhelming experiences often lead to forgotten items.
Whether it’s forgetting to buy items after a trip, or forgetting to make the trip all together, humans make mistakes and they should no longer feel burdened by the grocery store or change their plans for just a few items.
Solution:
Instacart, your shopping insurance, here to protect you when groceries go wrong.
“I haaaate how I forget things at the grocery store... I don't realize I forgot to buy something until I get home.” -Reddit, 2021
“I had to get some frozen vegetables for dinner... I come back from the shop and I have it all except the damn vegetables...” -Reddit, 2022
“You’re not alone, one time I had to go to the same store 3 times in an hour because my dumbass never makes a list.” -Reddit, 2021
Introducing
Instacart, We Make Forgetting Okay
Speedy Little Buddy
Speedy Little Buddy is our in-app characterization of the InstaCart Fast Delivery Drivers. He embodies how people feel and want to avoid being at the grocery store; cracked out, messy, and overwhelmed so you don’t have to be!
SLB not only saves the day but is also a relatable, humanized character, helping consumers connect with Instacart Fast Delivery on a deeper level—beyond just speed.
SLB makes forgetting okay, because you now have this right hand man here to help when you do. He’s there so you don’t have to go back to the store for the 3rd time in a day, or stress out because you forgot to go buy chocolate chips for your daughters bake sale cookies. SLB is your own little sidekick here to help you worry about more important things in life.
Work that came out of it
Speedy Little Stop n' Go
Pop-up grocery stores for forgetful shoppers who don't have time for the store
Super Bowl Pre Half- Time Show
Speedy Little Cook Book
QR codes linked to an InstaCart shopping cart ready to be checked out with all ingredients needed for the meal
More OOH's
Conclusion:
Following this campaign we hope to see
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Previous Instacart users and non users are choosing Instacart fast delivery to deliver their small orders rather than going to the store themselves, or using a competitor.
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Instacart is no longer known for just being fast and stands out amongst the rising competition.
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Instacart is now more humanized and relatable through Speedy Little Buddy and is truly there to be a helpful hand for anyone who needs it.
The Team
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Stephen Dvorak (Art Director)
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Henry Coeffy (Copywriter)
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Yanna Nguyen (Experience Design)
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Taryn Spencer (Strategy)
My Role
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Consumer and employee research
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Product and brand research
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Category and competitor research
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Social listening
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Creative brief writing
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Deck storytelling
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Cross functional team management
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Ensuring all aspects of creative make sense strategically.