Retail media for CPG operators
Practical frameworks built on real account work — covering Instacart ROAS, Amazon Ads, and retail media waste diagnostics for CPG operators who run their own programs.
14 posts in Maple Made — clear
Partake Brewing: How a Crohn's Diagnosis Led to Canada's Leading Non-Alcoholic Craft Beer (Maple Made #015)
Partake Brewing is the Calgary-founded non-alcoholic craft beer brand started in 2017 by Ted Fleming after Crohn's disease forced him to quit alcohol. The 10-calorie IPA, the World Beer Awards wins, the B Corp mission, and where to buy it. Sold at Sobeys, Loblaws, Whole Foods, Walmart, and on Instacart Canada.
Peace by Chocolate: The Syrian Refugee Family That Rebuilt a Chocolate Factory in Nova Scotia (Maple Made #014)
Peace by Chocolate is the Antigonish, Nova Scotia chocolate brand founded in 2016 by the Hadhad family after fleeing Syria. The bombed Damascus factory, the Antigonish welcome, the Trudeau UN speech, the 2021 film, and where to buy it. Sold at Sobeys, Loblaws, 1,000+ stores, and on Instacart Canada.
Sapsucker: How a Farm Family Turned Maple Sap Into Sparkling Tree Water (Maple Made #013)
Sapsucker is an organic sparkling tree water made from Canadian maple sap, founded in 2015 in Flesherton, Ontario by Nancy and Paul Chapman. No added sugar, backed by Arlene Dickinson's District Ventures Capital, and sold at Loblaws, Sobeys, Metro, Whole Foods, Costco, and on Instacart Canada.
MadeGood: How a Canadian Family Built an Allergen-Free Organic Snack Brand for Every Lunchbox (Maple Made #011)
MadeGood is a Greater Toronto Area organic snack brand founded in 2013 by Nima Fotovat with his wife Ladan and his sisters Sahba and Salma. Certified Organic, Non-GMO, school-safe, and made in a dedicated nut-free facility. Sold at Walmart Canada, Loblaws, Sobeys, Whole Foods, Costco, and on Instacart Canada.
Mid-Day Squares: How Three Siblings Built a Montreal Chocolate Brand by Documenting Every Day in Public (Maple Made #010)
Mid-Day Squares is a Montreal refrigerated functional chocolate brand founded by siblings Jake Karls and Lezlie Karls with co-founder Nick Saltarelli. Vertically integrated, founder-led, and sold across Canada at Loblaws, Sobeys, Metro, Whole Foods, Walmart Canada, and on Instacart Canada.
Three Farmers: How Three Saskatchewan Farming Families Built a National Pulse Snack Brand (Maple Made #009)
Three Farmers Foods is a Saskatoon-based snack brand built by three prairie farming families and led by sister CEOs Natasha and Elysia Vandenhurk. Roasted Crunchy Little Peas, lentils, and Camelina Oil — stocked at Sobeys, Loblaws, Save-On-Foods, Walmart Canada, and on Instacart Canada.
Acid League: How Two Guelph Food Scientists Turned Vinegar Into a 3,000-Store Pantry Brand (Maple Made #008)
Acid League is a Toronto pantry brand making living vinegars, non-alcoholic Wine Proxy, hot sauces, and shrubs. Co-founder Cole Pearsall made Forbes 30 Under 30. Stocked in 3,000+ stores across Canada and the US, including Loblaws, Whole Foods, Walmart, and Instacart Canada.
Evive Nutrition: The Quebec Frozen Smoothie Cube Brand That Won All Five Dragons (Maple Made #007)
Evive Nutrition makes frozen smoothie cubes sold in 5,000+ stores across Canada, including Instacart, Loblaws, Real Canadian Superstore, Metro, and Sobeys.
Comeback Snacks: The Hamilton Popcorn Brand Born Inside a Prison Cell (Maple Made #006)
Comeback Snacks is a Hamilton, Ontario specialty popcorn brand founded by Emily O'Brien after her release from prison in 2018. Mission-driven, Instacart-native, available at Loblaws, Walmart, and Sobeys across Canada. 2025 Sobeys Diversity Award winner.
Sushi Pocket: Inside the Canadian Frozen Brand That Cracked Sushi for the Grocery Aisle (Maple Made #005)
Sushi Pocket by Goodwave Technology is a Canadian frozen sushi brand — Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards finalist, available at Loblaws, No Frills, Real Canadian Superstore, and Instacart Canada.
Benny: Inside the BC Energy Drink That Made Forbes 30 Under 30 and Hit 500+ Canadian Stores (Maple Made #004)
Benny is a BC energy drink made with yerba mate and adaptogens by two UVic grads. Forbes 30 Under 30 2026. In 500+ Canadian stores and on Instacart Canada.
Dose Juice: How a Montreal Couple Built Canada's Female-Founded Organic Cold-Pressed Juice Brand (Maple Made #003)
A Montreal couple cold-pressing in their Old-Port kitchen turned Dose Juice into a certified-organic brand stocked at Costco, Walmart, Metro, Whole Foods, IGA, and across roughly 18 SKUs on Instacart Canada.
Triple X.O.G.: Inside Canada's First Canned Cognac Green Tea Cocktail (Maple Made #001)
Canada's first ready-to-drink canned cocktail made from cognac, jasmine green tea, and Canadian honey. Inside the Vancouver brand: the founders, the Dragons' Den deal, and where to buy it.
Maple 3: Inside the Quebec Maple Water Brand Selling in 10 Countries (Maple Made #002)
A fourth-generation maple producer turned a single Quebec sugar bush into a beverage brand stocked in IGA, Metro, Whole Foods, Costco US, and ten countries, without a venture round.
From the community
Curated weekly from r/InstacartAds, r/Google_Ads, and r/DigitalMarketing.
CPG digital ad recommendations
Marketers sharing channel recommendations for CPG brands — where to spend, what benchmarks to target, and which platforms deliver real retail lift.
Open thread →r/Google_AdsHow is CPC 10x less on Google-generated ads?
Discussion on why AI-generated Google ads can show dramatically lower CPCs and whether the quality of traffic actually holds up for conversion campaigns.
Open thread →r/InstacartAdsI tested Instacart Acquire (New-to-Brand) with optimized bidding
Real-world test results from running Instacart's Acquire NTB campaign type with optimized bidding — including ROAS, NTB rate, and spend efficiency findings.
Open thread →r/InstacartAdsDoes optimized or autobidding on Instacart actually work?
Operators comparing manual bidding vs. autobid on Instacart campaigns — sharing spend data and whether ceding bid control improves or hurts efficiency.
Open thread →Want a second opinion on your retail media program?
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