California Avocados has long been committed to promoting the unique story behind locally grown California Avocados. When the organization set out to make the most of peak California Avocado season in 2026, they turned to Instacart Ads — not just as a point-of-sale tool, but as the foundation of a sophisticated omnichannel campaign that delivered results far exceeding industry benchmarks.
A First-Year Partnership Built on Testing and Learning
As part of its inaugural partnership with Instacart, California Avocados approached the collaboration as a strategic test-and-learn opportunity. The goal was to understand how Instacart first-party audiences and media capabilities could complement its broader marketing strategy during the critical peak California Avocado growing season.
To accomplish this, California Avocados tested two distinct but complementary approaches: Sponsored Shoppable Display Ads running within the Instacart platform to reach consumers closer to the point-of-purchase, and the Instacart managed service Meta offering to extend that targeting offsite, engaging consumers in a broader social environment during the pre-shopping process.
"This campaign was designed to help us understand how Instacart's first-party audiences could drive both awareness and measurable retail action," said Zac Benedict, Director of Marketing for the California Avocados. "The combination of on-platform and off-platform tactics gave us a powerful way to reach consumers at multiple stages of their journey."
The Right Mix of Targeting & Creative
A cornerstone of the campaign's success was its precise use of Instacart first-party audiences. Rather than casting a wide net, California Avocados focused its efforts on two high-value consumer segments: California consumers who had purchased avocados in the past 90 days, and lapsed avocado buyers who had purchased within the past 180 days, but not the most recent 90.
This dual-targeting approach allowed California Avocados to both reinforce loyalty among active buyers and re-engage consumers who had drifted away from the category — all during the window when California-grown avocados were at their seasonal best.
The campaign's creative strategy was equally deliberate. Fresh, close-up imagery of California Avocados served as the visual anchor, making the ads immediately appetite-appealing in-feed. A prominent "Now in Season" message gave consumers a timely reason to act, moving the campaign beyond general brand awareness and into the territory of direct purchase motivation. Strong California Avocados branding kept the origin story front and center, while a clear "Shop Now" call-to-action provided a frictionless next step for consumers already in a grocery planning mindset.
Results That Exceeded Expectations — and Industry Benchmarks
The campaign delivered standout performance across both channels. The Instacart managed service Meta campaign generated over 36 million impressions at an overall CPM of just $3.43, driving a 2.83x effective ROAS. A Meta Brand Lift Study confirmed the campaign's impact, with the lift in familiarity coming in at 4x above the Meta CPG benchmark, while Action Intent surpassed the Meta CPG benchmark by an extraordinary 7x.
Instacart's shoppable display ads on-platform delivered a 6.6x ROAS, demonstrating the platform's effectiveness at driving purchase behavior at the moment consumers are ready to buy.*
"This campaign is proof that pairing onsite tactics with offsite tactics can help create a highly impactful omnichannel campaign," said Benedict. "From driving greater awareness and intent, to successfully converting users at the point of purchase."
A Blueprint for Ecommerce Success in the CPG Space
By combining Instacart first-party audiences with a dual-channel strategy — reaching consumers both within the platform and across social — California Avocados was able to move consumers fluidly from awareness to action, delivering measurable impact at every stage of the funnel.
For brands seeking to make their seasonal moments count, or to win back lapsed consumers while reinforcing loyalty among active buyers, the Instacart suite of advertising solutions provides the precision, reach and measurability to make it happen.
Prior results do not guarantee future outcomes. Based on California Avocados campaign data from Instacart and Meta between June to July 2026.
This post contains third-party claims and descriptions provided by the featured third party brand. Instacart does not make any representation as to the accuracy or suitability of any of the information provided herein by the featured brand.
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