The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Ali Miller, General Manager of Advertising & Tim Castelli, VP of Ad Sales at Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, works with grocers and retailers to transform how people shop. The company partners with more than 1,500 national, regional, and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 85,000 stores across North America on the Instacart Marketplace.

Follow Ali on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/about-ali-miller/
Follow Tim on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timcastelli/
Follow Instacart Ads online at: https://www.instacart.com/company/ads

Ali & Tim answer these questions:

1. Instacart has been rapidly expanding its retail media capabilities—what’s the overarching vision for Instacart Ads in the next 1–3 years?
2. How does Instacart differentiate its retail media network from others in the increasingly crowded landscape?
3. What role does AI or machine learning play in Instacart's ad platform today—and how might that evolve?
4. How are CPG brands using Instacart Ads to drive full-funnel outcomes—from awareness to conversion?
5. What kinds of insights or shopper data are most valuable to brands—and how does Instacart deliver those responsibly?
6. Instacart has quickly expanded its offering over the last few years to include ad products like shoppable video and display, and more recently, inspiration formats. What's been the reception from brands and shoppers?
7. Measurement and incrementality are top-of-mind for advertisers. How is Instacart helping brands understand true performance across the path to purchase?
8. Are there plans to integrate Instacart Ads more directly with broader omnichannel or media mix modeling tools?
9. With more retailers launching their own RMNs, how does Instacart fit into—or compete with—those ecosystems?

CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
CPG Scoop Website: http://CPGscoop.com
Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.com
Lara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/

DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Sean Summers, EVP Mercado Ads & CMO at Mercado Libre. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Mercado Libre is Latin America’s leading e-commerce technology company. Through its primary platforms, MercadoLibre.com and MercadoPago.com, it provides solutions to individuals and companies buying, selling, advertising, and paying for goods online.

Follow Sean on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-summers-870363/
Follow Mercado Ads on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mercadoads/
Follow Mercado Ads online at: https://ads.mercadolivre.com.br/

Sean answers these questions:

1. How is Mercado Libre evolving its marketing strategy to support the CPG category’s digital expansion across Latin America?
2. What role does Mercado Libre marketing play in shaping omnichannel experiences—especially for CPG brands—across your marketplace, app, and media network?
3. How do you support CPG brands in activating precision targeting and attribution on your platform?
4. What shifts have you observed post-pandemic in online consumer behavior within the CPG space in LATAM and how is Mercado Libre positioned to win with these changes?
5. How are you leveraging personalization and dynamic creative to enhance relevance in media for your CPG advertisers?
6. What measurement frameworks do you use to assess CPG campaign effectiveness—especially at the lower funnel—and how transparent is that to brand partners?
7. Can you share how emerging technologies like AI are being embedded into your media offerings to optimize targeting and creative?
8. How does Mercado Libre collaborate with CPG manufacturers directly versus working through commerce acceleration agencies like Flywheel?
9. How do you keep your team and partners aligned with fast-moving trends in omnichannel commerce and retail media—especially in the CPG domain?

CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
CPG Scoop Website: http://CPGscoop.com
Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.com
Lara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/

DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Molly Hjelm, Corporate VP of Red Vest Media, the retail media division of Ace Hardware, the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the world with over 5,900 locally-owned and operated hardware stores in 71 countries.

Follow Molly on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mollyhjelm/
Follow Ace Hardware on LinkedIn at: http://acehardware.com
Follow RedVest Media online at: http://redvestmedia.com

Molly answers these questions:

1. Ace has a unique position as a cooperative of independent retailers. How does that structure shape the way you approach retail media compared to traditional big-box retailers?
2. We’re read that Ace balances local relevance with national scale—how do you preserve that hyper-local feel while delivering a unified marketing message through Ace Media?
3. Ace Rewards has over 71 million members with impressive active engagement—how are you leveraging this loyalty data to power Ace Media’s audience targeting and personalization?
4. Ace Media is launching with a full-funnel portfolio right out of the gate. What led to the decision to debut such a comprehensive offering instead of rolling it out incrementally?
5. You’re partnering with Epsilon and launching with interoperability across commerce platforms like Flywheel & Pacvue. How does this commitment to open infrastructure benefit your brand partners?
6. Your approach to launch is intentionally curated, not a land grab for ad dollars. How are you choosing which brand partners to bring in first—and why is that intentionality important?
7. Measurement seems to be a passion point for you. What can advertisers expect when it comes to transparency and performance reporting from day one?
8. Looking ahead, what’s your vision for how Ace Media will evolve—and how do you see it helping both national brands and independent store owners thrive over time?

CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
CPG Scoop Website: http://CPGscoop.com
Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.com
Lara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/

DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.