Observed Signal · May 6, 2026 · Partnership · Source: State of Streaming · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Hershey Runs Roku-to-Instacart CTV Proof‑of‑Concept
Hershey publicly documented a closed-loop CTV-to-commerce proof of concept that tied a Reese’s interactive Roku ad to Instacart as the purchase endpoint. The Roku campaign delivered a verified 4x return on ad spend and 84% of users who showed purchase consideration were new-to-brand buyers. Hershey also rebuilt its marketing-mix-modeling infrastructure with Mutinex and Tracer to run monthly (upgrading from quarterly reads), allowing $2 billion of media and trade spend to be re-evaluated twelve times per year. VP of Consumer Connections Vinny Rinaldi framed the effort as an architecture play: brands should own clean data, auditable identity, and measurement before handing control to agentic AI layers. The case study signals a CPG example of streaming moving from awareness to verifiable commerce outcomes and highlights the operational value of owning the full activation, measurement, and budget-reallocation stack.
Demonstrates a verified closed-loop CTV-to-retail commerce workflow and faster MMM cadence for a major CPG, showing practical measurement and budget-reallocation benefits that other advertisers may emulate.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Hershey ran a Reese’s interactive ad on Roku that used Instacart as the purchase endpoint.
- The Roku campaign delivered a verified 4x return on ad spend.
- 84% of users who showed purchase consideration in the campaign were new-to-brand buyers.
- Hershey partnered with Mutinex and Tracer to rebuild marketing-mix-modeling (MMM) infrastructure to run monthly analyses.
- Two billion dollars in Hershey media and trade spend now moves on twelve reads per year instead of three.
Connected Companies & Entities
6 Entities mapped“Hershey ran Reese's on Roku through an OK-to-Text interactive format with Instacart as the purchase endpoint....”
“Hershey ran Reese's on Roku through an OK-to-Text interactive format with Instacart as the purchase endpoint....”
“Vinny Rinaldi, VP of Consumer Connections at The Hershey Company, published the framework from Possible last week....”
“Hershey partnered with Mutinex and Tracer to rebuild its marketing mix modeling (MMM) infrastructure....”
“Hershey partnered with Mutinex and Tracer to rebuild its marketing mix modeling (MMM) infrastructure....”
“Rinaldi called it a complete game-changer for the organization (linked via an Adweek story)....”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Hershey Says It Should Own AI Agents and Modernize MMM
Hershey’s VP of media and marketing technology, Vinny Rinaldi, describes how the company built a system of AI agents to accelerate media mix modeling (MMM) and speed measurement from months to weeks. Hershey has worked with vendors including Mutinex, Tracer.tech and Chalice, and has integrated those capabilities into its bidding ecosystem across The Trade Desk, YouTube and Meta. The approach prioritizes “relevance over reach,” influenced Hershey to increase investment in Reddit for Reese’s, and will inform the company’s TV upfront strategy. Rinaldi says Hershey should own agentic planning assets because they are fueled by the brand’s sales and first‑party data, and he emphasizes the importance of building a solid infrastructure foundation and keeping human critical thinking in the loop.
Tubi and Roku Channel to Remain Separate After Fox Acquisition
Fox Corporation's planned $22 billion acquisition of Roku will not merge Tubi and The Roku Channel. Instead, both free ad-supported streaming services will continue to operate independently, preserving distinct brands, libraries, and user experiences. The key integration step is that Roku will take over ad sales management for Tubi, creating a unified sales structure across both platforms. This move is designed to offer advertisers a single point of contact for reaching both live-leaning and on-demand-leaning audiences. Fox cites different usage patterns – The Roku Channel focuses on live channels, while Tubi emphasizes on-demand movies and series – as the reason for keeping them separate. The deal is expected to close this year, pending shareholder and regulatory approvals, and the ad sales integration will only take effect after closing.
Best Buy Ads Expands Commerce Media Beyond Retail
Best Buy Ads showcased at 'The Drop' an expansion of its commerce media ecosystem, moving beyond retailer-owned properties. Key announcements include the launch of Best Buy CTV, partnerships with Amazon Fire TV, LG, and Roku, opening Best Buy Studios to brands, expanding its creator program, and planning a TikTok Shop launch. This signals a shift towards full-funnel media, where commerce media follows consumers across CTV, social, and in-store experiences. Best Buy also introduced multi-touch attribution and expanded incrementality testing, supported by Circana research showing its ads influence purchases beyond Best Buy's channels. The company's marketplace grew to over 1,200 sellers and nearly one million SKUs, with international sellers added. The article emphasizes that commerce media is becoming a customer-centric ecosystem, integrating content, media, and commerce.
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