Founded in 2012 by Jason Burke out of a simple kitchen hobby, New Primal has grown from a homemade jerky passion project into one of the most recognizable names in better-for-you meat snacks. With a mission to make protein convenient, approachable, and craveable for the whole family, the brand, including its kid-focused line Snack Mates, has found a powerful growth engine in Instacart Ads.
Showing up when families are ready to buy
When the pandemic accelerated a dramatic shift in grocery buying behavior in 2020, New Primal acted quickly. Recognizing that consumers were rapidly embracing grocery pickup and delivery, the brand began advertising on Instacart to ensure it was present at the moment consumers were ready to buy.
"The New Primal began in 2012 as a homemade jerky hobby in my kitchen," said Jason Burke, Founder of New Primal. "At the time, meat snacks were largely viewed as gas-station food — overly processed, made with ingredients people didn't trust, and marketed almost exclusively to men. I believed the category could be something much bigger: an everyday source of protein made for women, kids, families, and lunchboxes."
That vision, protein for the whole family, maps directly onto the growing base of Instacart consumers, many of whom are the busy parents and health-conscious households New Primal was built to serve.
Advertising for every stage of the consumer journey
New Primal's Instacart advertising strategy has evolved significantly since its launch. The brand relies on always-on Sponsored Products as a foundation, ensuring consistent visibility across the platform. In recent years, the team has meaningfully expanded its use of Shoppable Display, and strategically pulses Display Banners and Shoppable Video around key tentpole events such as back to school.
The brand has also leaned into co-branded campaigns, pairing Instacart promotions with Instagram giveaways and co-branded emails to maximize reach and create high-impact marketing moments for both partners.
Turning first-time consumers into loyal customers
The investment is paying off. New Primal is on track to achieve more than 40% growth in sales on Instacart this year, with new-to-brand (NTB) consumer acquisition growing more than 50% — a testament to the platform's ability to introduce the brand to consumers who had never tried it before.
Some of the brand's highest return on ad spend (ROAS) campaigns have come from those co-branded efforts. Additionally, each time New Primal entered a new retail partner this year, the team activated Instacart's Launch objective to drive awareness — consistently generating over 40% NTB sales with each activation.
Creating a strategic partnership built on collaboration
Beyond the numbers, New Primal credits much of its Instacart success to the strength of its partnership with the Instacart team.
"We love our Instacart team," Burke noted. "They have been strategic thought partners for year-long planning, discussing tentpole events, and even helping to coordinate co-branded promotions. I appreciate the different levels of spend guidance for emerging brands to balance awareness versus conversion."
That kind of collaborative, consultative relationship has helped New Primal make smarter decisions about where and how to invest — a meaningful advantage for a growing brand navigating a competitive category.
Building a national brand through digital shelves
For New Primal, ecommerce is not a secondary channel, it is a core pillar of the brand's national strategy. With a broad and expanding product catalog, Instacart allows the brand to offer its full lineup to consumers nationwide, regardless of what any single physical retailer may carry on shelf.
"Ecommerce is extremely important to our strategy, as online availability helps us offer the full catalog of products nationwide," Burke said. "With so many of the growing base of Instacart consumers being our key demographic, we plan on continuing to invest in this channel. Getting in front of consumers multiple times, both online and in-store, will continue to cement New Primal and Snack Mates in consumer minds."
What's next for New Primal
Looking ahead, New Primal is focused on scaling distribution to reach more retailers and more consumers across the country. The brand's long-term vision centers on flavor-forward innovation specifically designed to attract new consumers into the meat snack category.
"Today, our consumers range from growing kids who need something filling in their lunchboxes to busy parents fueling school drop-offs, work, workouts, and everything in between," said Burke. "More than a decade later, we're still pursuing the same goal: making protein convenient, approachable, and genuinely craveable — without asking families to compromise between nutrition and taste."
As demand for clean protein continues to climb, New Primal's partnership with Instacart will remain a central part of how the brand reaches and converts the next generation of loyal consumers.
Prior results do not guarantee future outcomes.
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