Red Bull Energizes Single-Can Sales with Impulse

Adopting impulse for sponsored product ads, Red Bull was able to drive sales and increase market share in single-can energy drinks 

We recently released impulse for sponsored product ads, a new solution for our brand partners and advertisers to boost sales of single-unit UPCs priced under $7 by advertising them in new impulse placements on Instacart. Just like the checkout aisle in brick and mortar stores, impulse placements are moments during the shopping journey when consumers are more inclined to an impulse mindset. 

The goal with impulse was to create placements exclusive to low price, single unit products that could best inspire impulse buys and provide placements outside of the highly competitive auctions for general sponsored product placements. With impulse for sponsored product ads, products only compete with other similarly priced, single unit products. 

We ran several successful pilot projects of impulse for sponsored product ads with select brand partners before releasing it to the market; one of our brand partners, Red Bull, advertised single-can units of their energy drink with impulse for sponsored product ads to great success. 

Red Bull’s single-can units of their popular energy drink were a perfect fit for impulse placements. These units often have placements in the checkout aisle of brick and mortar stores, so replicating that experience online to encourage purchases that were not necessarily pre-planned was highly useful for them. 

Red Bull saw their impulse campaign drive significant trial for single cans over the Q4 period. While the ability to monitor, edit, and measure the impulse campaign allowed them to make informed decisions in real-time to ensure ad spend was being deployed effectively.

How does it work? 

You can enable impulse on any ad group by selecting the Optimize for impulse purchases toggle in Ads Manager. When enabled, products priced under $7 in the ad group participate in auctions for purpose-built impulse placements throughout a user’s shopping experience on Instacart.

Because we limit impulse placements to items priced under $7, brands can invest more efficiently in sponsored product ads for lower priced products; prior to impulse for sponsored product ads, these units would have to compete in auctions against high priced items. For many brands, investing in impulse placements for their products priced under $7 unlocks additional opportunities. 

While you can enable this for products from any category, you’ll see better performance advertising products which fit the impulse or last-minute purchase mindset. Treats, drinks, hand sanitizer, batteries, and other products of that nature will likely sell better in purpose-built impulse placements. 

Red Bull Energy Drink is appreciated worldwide by top athletes, busy professionals, college students and travellers on long journeys. 

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Prior results do not guarantee future outcomes.

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