JonnyPops Grows Sales 121% YoY on Instacart

Available nationwide, JonnyPops provides allergen-friendly options, made in a peanut-free facility, and have a kind deed printed on every stick, helping JonnyPops achieve their mission of making “A Better Pop for A Better World!”

Elevating presence: JonnyPops' Instacart success

JonnyPops started advertising on Instacart in April of 2020, as a response to the increase in online grocery shopping. Initial test campaigns proved their approach and soon JonnyPops was leaned in, running campaigns across the summer months.

“Instacart has done a great job of meeting us where we are in the JonnyPops growth journey,” said Laird Vlaming, Shopper Marketing Manager at JonnyPops. “It has always felt as though Instacart is an accessible tool all brands can lean into whether they are a startup, or a Fortune 500.”

JonnyPops started working with Ovative Group—a digital-first media, measurement, and creative firm—beginning in April of 2023. Together they determined the brand had a significant opportunity to increase investment and further leverage Instacart to drive new customer growth across retailers. They invested heavily in their peak season, moving quickly to test and learn with new ad tactics and creative formats, landing on the fastest growing emerging brand list of 2023. In fact, on the list they were the highest placed of brands in the frozen category.

Their total sales on Instacart grew 121% YoY in 2023. While in 2024, the growth of JonnyPops has accelerated even further with 250% growth YoY through March and ranking #6 in the frozen novelty category overall, alongside longer established and large houses of brands.

“A major key to our 2024 growth with JonnyPops has been adopting a full-funnel approach on Instacart through the use of multiple ad formats like sponsored product, display, and video,” said Henry Primack, Sr. Analyst, Retail Media at Ovative Group. “This has allowed us to drive additional sales and present brand messaging across retailers highlighting things such as JonnyPops product differentiators, recognition as a fastest growing brand, and even a new branded jingle.”

Navigating the digital landscape

For frozen food brands, direct to consumer sales can be a challenge to fulfill due to costs surrounding shipping frozen products. Instacart has provided a great opportunity to generate awareness of JonnyPops on a marketplace where consumers can have their groceries delivered in as little as thirty minutes.

“Instacart has been a fantastic partner for us. The ease and quality of the delivery experience is important. And their team gives us access to very unique data and testing capabilities that helps us prove out the value of Instacart beyond last click ROAS, including new to brand sales, and incrementality” said Sean Irwin, Sr. Director, Retail Media at Ovative. “They are an active strategic partner who have worked with us to evolve our Instacart strategy and cater to specific requests we’ve had around creative, promotions, and performance.”

Instacart is a key piece of the overall marketing strategy at JonnyPops, providing opportunities to drive sales, acquire new customers, and amplify brand visibility and provide efficient support across their diverse retailer landscapes. With JonnyPops continuing to grow and bring more innovative products to market, they look to meet consumers where they are in their purchase journey — and increasingly that’s online.

*Prior results do not guarantee future outcomes.

This post contains third-party claims and advertisements. Instacart does not make any representation as to the accuracy or suitability of any of the information provided herein by our third party advertisers.

About JonnyPops

JonnyPops was founded in a St. Olaf College dorm room and sold its first pops at Twin Cities farmers’ markets and local cafes in 2012. Today, JonnyPops employs 150+ people, and pops are sold in major retailers across all 50 states. Get the latest on JonnyPops, including product news, new flavors, and retail locations by visiting jonnypops.com or following them on Instagram @jonnypops!

Looking to advertise with Instacart? Get started here.