Bridging the Gap: How In-Recipe Advertising Tactics Amplify In-Store Campaigns

The majority of consumers today are omnichannel shoppers. They move between channels, digital and physical, creating opportunities to engage with brands along the way. This is especially true for grocery shoppers who rely on both physical and digital tools, like online recipes and coupon circulars, to complete their shop. While the bulk of purchases occur in-store, today’s grocery shoppers are now attached to the simplicity and personalization that certain online experiences offer. 

CPG brands and grocery retailers looking to maximize engagement in this environment should incorporate the benefits of digital advertising into their in-store experiences. In-recipe advertising, a form of digital advertising that enables brands to promote their products within hyper-relevant recipe content, offers unique advantages, including personalization, purchasing context and cross-channel alignment. In this blog post, we explore how advertisers can draw lessons from in-recipe advertising to enhance their in-store campaigns and increase consumer engagement. 

We’re pulling insights directly from an interview with Yuni Baker-Saito, CEO and co-founder of Chicory, the leading contextual commerce advertising platform. The interview is hosted by Rob Cote and Sabrina Allard of Broadsign, a digital billboard and signage company that believes in a world where digital and real-life experiences collide. Below are the key takeaways from their discussion or click the link to the right to watch the full interview. 

Personalization Drives Engagement

In-recipe advertising excels at personalization by serving hyper-contextual ads to the “right consumer at the right moment,” explains Baker-Saito. For example, an almond milk brand utilizing Chicory’s in-recipe advertising solutions may be promoted in a dairy-free cupcake recipe. Chicory’s proprietary natural language processing algorithm ensures that featured ads are highly relevant to the content on the page and therefore relevant to readers’ food and lifestyle preferences too. The personalization makes the reader far more likely to engage with the ad. Baker-Saito highlights this fact, stating, "The recipe moment is a very inspirational moment — 75% of consumers try new products because the recipe recommends [them]." 

In-store advertisers can adopt this strategy by leveraging consumer and demographic data to deliver personalized messages. Instead of ordering a “banner display across all 3,000 stores for this one retailer, you can start tailoring to the demographics of the certain area….You can start looking at what's being purchased at the store, when and in which locations, and personalize the messages that are being shown to the consumer,” said Baker-Saito. By tailoring ads to specific consumer preferences, brands can create more engaging and impactful experiences, increasing consumer engagement and purchase likelihood.

Context is Key to Conversions

Another strength of digital in-recipe advertising is its ability to provide context for a purchase. The recipe serves as a use case, or practical application, of the grocery item. This makes the shopper much more likely to convert at that moment because they can clearly understand the product’s value. For example, an ad for an avocado by itself is limiting, but an ad for an avocado brand within a guacamole recipe opens up more possibilities for the shopper, including potential use cases and product pairings. Below that guacamole recipe, you may also find a “pairings” ad for tortilla chips, providing additional suggestions to make the most of your guac. 

Advertisers can deploy more effective in-store campaigns by prioritizing context similarly. In-store context may include the location of the store, its layout, available inventory, and upcoming events, holidays or promotions. In-store displays and ads can also add context that’s not otherwise available, like a recipe, suggested product pairing, or real-time inventory data (if a digital display). By understanding the in-store journey and strategically placing ads that align with specific consumer preferences and behaviors, brands can enhance the likelihood of conversions and drive product discovery. 

Cross-Channel Activations Maximize Impact

At Chicory, we believe that recipes drive commerce. But despite our focus on digital, we know that commerce isn’t limited to the online experience. Many shoppers “use their e-commerce cart as their shopping list” before they purchase the items in-store, explained Baker-Saito. Further, 71% of consumers have looked at an online recipe on their mobile phone while in the grocery store. That’s why we empower brands and retailers to customize the messaging and branding of their in-recipe advertisements, thus enabling them to extend their brand experience to off-site channels.  

With this cross-channel approach, brands and retailers can create a more “holistic experience for the consumer,” said Baker-Saito. He suggests using available data to connect the online and in-store advertising experience: “Let's go to a geo and see what recipes are popular. Let's see what ads are highly effective in those areas. And then let's replicate it and mirror it to the in-store experience in the same area.” Doing this, “you could create a much more robust omnichannel campaign.” By aligning digital and in-store advertising efforts, brands can create omnichannel campaigns that reinforce brand recognition and drive sales. Consistent messaging, imagery and promotions across both online and physical touchpoints create a cohesive and immersive experience for consumers, ultimately leading to increased brand awareness, loyalty and sales.

Applying These Lessons to Your Advertising Strategy 

Digital in-recipe advertising provides valuable insights that can be applied to in-store strategies. By adopting a personalized, contextual and holistic advertising approach, brands can enhance consumer engagement, drive conversions, and deliver a cohesive brand experience. Embracing these lessons from digital in-recipe advertising enables brands to connect with consumers meaningfully, unlocking new opportunities for success in both the digital and physical realms as the retail landscape continues to evolve.

Please note that some quotes were edited for brevity. You can listen to the full interview here or reach out to hello@chicory.co to learn more about how Chicory can help you achieve your advertising goals.