Launching a new product? New Instagram tests launch day ‘Buy on Instagram’ reminders

Instagram wants to be more than a place for product discovery. It wants to deliver an all-inclusive commerce experience that brands develop entire product plans around.

Its latest test, announced Monday, is aimed at giving brands tools to build excitement around upcoming products their fans will be able to buy on the platform. Users can opt in to get reminders to buy the products on Instagram when they’re released.

Product launch tag. A “Set Reminder” call to action is available in posts to allow users to set reminders for the launch date and time and preview product details in Instagram. Users will then get a reminder on their phones just ahead of the launch.

Product launch sticker. A new sticker is also available in Stories, as shown on the left in the example above.

Why we should care. This test is aimed at complementing Instagram’s in-app ecommerce checkout capability that launched in March. Checkout is available to a limited set of brands as well as a small group of influencers via Shopping for Creators. Adidas, Levi’s, Soul Cycle and Warby Parker are among the 20 or so brand participating in the closed checkout beta.

“We see adoption [of Checkout] improve month to month. With new features like product launch reminders, we expect to see engagement increase as we can create simple, immersive and user-obsessed experiences adidas creators love,” said adidas SVP Digital Scott Zalaznik in a statement.