The news: Gopuff unveiled new advertising capabilities it says will help brands build deeper relationships with Gen Z and millennial customers.

They include:

• Brand Shops, which allow advertisers to add immersive experiences like shoppable carousels or custom photo and video content to campaigns
• An integration with AdAdapted’s Add-It carting technology, which enables consumers to add products to their Gopuff shopping carts from an ad without navigating away from the site they’re on or having to log into their Gopuff accounts
• Instant Insights for sampling campaigns, so brands have access to real-time data on search query behavior, add-to-cart and repurchase rates, and basket analysis

Why it matters: Gopuff is counting on its new ad offerings to help differentiate it in a crowded retail media market.

• Its partnership with AdAdapted gives brands more opportunities to get in front of consumers, regardless of where they are on the internet, driving awareness as well as sales.
• The company says brands like Chips Ahoy!, Hot Pockets, and Gatorade are using its Brand Shops to educate shoppers and differentiate their product portfolios, resulting in a nearly 20% increase in average order value.

Our take: Despite the deluge of dollars being poured into retail media, smaller networks like Gopuff are having a harder time winning over advertisers—unless they can prove they have a direct line to unique, differentiated audiences (Gen Zers and millennials, in Gopuff’s case) as well as the ability to meaningfully drive sales.

Go further: Read our report on The Retail Media Opportunity, or check out our US Retail Media Ad Spending Benchmarks: Q3 2024.