The Effective CMO: Instacart's Laura Jones returns

Instacart’s marketing transformation centers on unifying brand and performance budgets to create a cohesive, full-funnel strategy. CMO Laura Jones emphasizes that building a brand requires moving beyond siloed metrics toward a portfolio-level view that balances functional utility with emotional resonance. By establishing a world-class in-house creative agency, the company executes high-impact campaigns, such as the "bananas" Super Bowl ad, which addressed consumer needs like produce ripeness through the "preference picker" tool. This data-driven approach, paired with authentic partnerships like the WNBA and Feeding America, aligns marketing efforts with broader corporate goals. Success stems from radical transparency with the C-suite and a commitment to continuous measurement, ensuring that every marketing dollar drives both brand equity and measurable business outcomes while maintaining a culture of constant iteration and improvement.