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Category Exclusivity – a key component of Package Insert Programs 🔑📦

For any advertiser that is focused on direct response, the issue of category exclusivity is always an important one.

You can have the best creative and the most enticing offer in the market, but if your target audience is also exposed to an offer from one of your category competitors, your message will inevitably be diluted.

At Connections, we take the issue of category exclusivity very seriously. For us, it is important in two key ways:
1️⃣ Maximizing advertiser ROI – ensuring that our advertisers get the most from their investment, whether that means new subscribers, app downloads, or hitting KPIs.
2️⃣ Protecting retail partner experience – consumers love receiving offers with their e-commerce deliveries. It makes them feel valued and rewarded. Multiple brands in the same category dilute that feeling.

If you are interested in trying package inserts as a new acquisition channel in 2026, get in touch with Connections – we’d love to help you make that happen!

Package Insert Programs - The original retail media!

The topic of retail media has been one of the topics discussed over recent years. With first-party ad networks from companies such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, and many more, utilizing their enormous user bases to generate huge sums of ad dollars. As well as offering advertisers the chance to influence the purchasing decision-making at the most opportune time.

But the idea of advertisers buying into a particular retailer's audience goes back a lot longer than the digital retail media networks, the likes of which are mentioned above.

Smart, response-focused advertisers have been placing their ads into complementary retailer packages for decades now.

The level of targeting that this type of activity provides is a marketer's dream. If you are a brand looking to target Moms of babies and young children, then placing your advertising literature, or product sample, into Enfamil, Similac or Carters packages is as targeted as you can get. There aren't many people ordering from those companies that aren't Moms!

Similarly, if you are looking to target pet owners, putting your brand into the hands of Petco shoppers as they receive their order guarantees next to zero wastage.

All of the retailers mentioned above, and many more besides, are exclusively available through Connections.

Get in touch and let's see how the power of package insert campaigns can benefit your business.

Holiday season. The perfect time to launch a package insert program.

For most retailers Q4 is the biggest time of the year for sales. 

Whether that be in store or online. The introduction of complimentary, non competitive inserts into ecommerce packages gives these retailers more opportunity for revenue generation and their customers access to exclusive offers that are often best in market.

Connections is the US's leading agency when it comes to the launch and management of package insert programs (PIPs) we handle the full process from revenue forecasting, proactive sales outreach all the way through to the back end logistical set up.

Connections commercial and sales teams work with all of the leading brands and agencies that are active in package inserts and are ready to bring brands like Wayfair, HelloFresh, DoorDash and Uber to your packages!

Revenue generation in 2025 is still possible, but if you are a retailer that delivers over 100k packages per month and are looking to add some meaningful incremental revenue to your year-end, then you will need to move fast.

And if there is not enough time to introduce inserts into your packages in 2025, get in touch and let's talk about how Connections can help you make 2026 your most profitable year yet.

Introducing the Exclusive MySimilac Rewards Portfolio

We’re proud to announce the MySimilac Rewards package insert program as the newest addition to our exclusive portfolio. This proven in-home media channel connects brands with new moms at a trusted and emotional moment, right when their baby journey begins.

Powered by Similac, one of the nation’s most trusted and beloved brands, each MySimilac Rewards package includes formula samples, coupons, and a newborn feeding guide. Advertiser offers sit alongside these helpful resources, reaching parents in a calm, focused environment where attention is high and distractions are minimal.

This program is a perfect fit for brands in categories such as:
👶 Baby and family care
🥣 Food and household staples
💳 Financial services and insurance
🩺 Health, wellness, and nutrition
📱 Mobile, tech, and subscription services

It is meaningful, targeted, and measurable. A direct connection with the decision makers who shape household spending.

📦 Reach new moms when it matters most.

Let’s talk about how your brand can be part of the MySimilac Rewards portfolio.

KiwiCo and Carter’s: A Perfect Partnership Six Years Strong

This fall, we’re thrilled to see KiwiCo connecting with Carter’s customers through in-package offers 📦 continuing a six-year partnership powered by Connections.

It’s a perfect fit. Carter’s families are the same curious, creative households KiwiCo inspires every month. With strong creative and a compelling offer, KiwiCo continues to prove the value of reaching parents where they’re most engaged: at home, in a moment of joy 💜

We’re proud to support this collaboration year after year, driving consistent rebooking and meaningful results for both brands.

Learn more about how Connections powers retail media partnerships that deliver.

Package Insert Survey Part 5: Package Inserts vs Direct Mail

📦 Which format delivers better engagement and trial for brands? Consumers have spoken.

In our latest survey, 52% of consumers said they find package inserts more engaging and more likely to drive trial compared to 29% who prefer traditional direct mail.

The results speak to the power of the unboxing moment. When a customer opens a package, attention is high, distractions are low, and brand messages feel more personal. It’s a moment of genuine connection, right inside the home where nearly 90% of purchase decisions are made.

At Connections, we help brands turn those moments into measurable impact through targeted, brand-safe ecommerce media programs that meet consumers where they’re most engaged.

📬 Package inserts work because they feel real, relevant, and rewarding.

Reach out to Ryan Rager (ryanrager@exactconnections.com) if you want the full survey results.

Package Insert Survey Part 4: Brand Trust

81% of Shoppers Are Open to Trying New Brands Through Package Advertising

In a recent survey we asked shoppers: How likely are you to try a new brand if it’s featured inside a trusted retailer’s package?

The results speak volumes:
✅ 81% said very or somewhat likely
🤔 14% said unlikely
❌ 5% said not at all

This is the power of trust transfer. When a brand appears inside a retailer’s package, it benefits from the credibility of the retailer the shopper already chose.

And it works because of where it happens: in the home. Nearly 90% of purchase decisions are made there, where attention is focused and decision-makers are engaged. Package media captures that moment, creating a direct and lasting impression.

For retailers, package inserts and samples do more than monetize e-commerce inventory. When executed well, shoppers view them as added value, not ads.

In a world where digital alone is not enough, package advertising is a proven omnichannel tool that builds trust, drives trial, and delivers moments that matter.

👉 Let’s talk about how your brand can join the 81 percent.

Reach out to Ryan Rager (ryanrager@exactconnections.com) for the full survey results.

Connections joins B-Corp status

We’re excited to share some good news from our parent company, What's Possible Group. They’ve officially been awarded B-Corp status!

At Connections, we’re proud to be part of an organization that puts purpose and responsibility at the heart of how it operates. It’s a reminder that doing great work and doing the right thing can go hand in hand.

Congratulations to everyone at Whats Possible Group who made this possible. We’re looking forward to continuing to part of a business that’s good for our clients, our people, and the wider community.

✈️ Next stop: New York.

Our own Richard Downey will be in the city next Tuesday and Wednesday (Sept 23rd and 24th) and is looking forward to connecting.

If you’re an advertiser eager to reach highly engaged, purchase-minded audiences through our exclusive media opportunities, or a retailer exploring how to monetize outbound packages as a powerful channel, Richard would love to meet. (We just crossed $85 million in incremental revenue generated for our retail partners!!!!)

Let’s talk about how we can turn everyday customer touchpoints into measurable growth.

📩 Drop Richard a message to set up time while he’s in town. (RichardDowney@exactconnections.com)

3 reasons why it is best to launch a package insert program with one agency partner

1. Different sales teams going to market with the same program causes confusion, duplication of work, and often leads to lower yields as potential advertisers can simply play the multiple sales agencies off against each other.
2. Any revenue expectation or targets set by the retailer become impossible for an agency to be measured against if one team is not fully responsible for all the campaigns and revenue generated.
3. The retailer themselves has more work to do! Rather than just dealing with one partner agency, they will have two or three times as many contacts and interactions. And the more of those they have the less time the retailer has to focus on their core areas of focus.