Welcome to How to Win with Hummingbirds
If you are here, you already know that awareness alone does not drive retail growth.
Buying happens later, in store, when a shopper encounters a product on the shelf and decides whether it feels familiar enough to choose.
This guide is built to help food and beverage brands influence that moment.
Inside, you will see how everyday creators shape what shoppers recognize, remember, and trust before they ever reach the aisle. You will learn how brands are using creator led discovery to support launches, drive trial, and build momentum in the retailers that matter most.
This is not a social media playbook. It is a retail growth guide built around buying moments that matter.
The IRL Click
What the IRL Click Really Is
The IRL Click is the moment curiosity turns into action.
It happens when a shopper encounters a product in store and feels confident enough to choose it. That confidence is rarely created at the shelf. It is built earlier through recognition, familiarity, and trusted signals that resurface later.
Most retail decisions follow the same pattern:
- A shopper sees a product online or through someone they trust
- That exposure creates recognition
- Later, in store, that recognition returns
- The shelf confirms the decision
The IRL Click is that confirmation.
Brands that understand this focus on showing up early and consistently in ways that feel natural to how people discover products.
Why the Shelf Confirms the Decision
Shoppers do not walk into a store ready to evaluate every option from scratch.
By the time they reach the shelf, they are choosing between what already feels familiar and what does not. The product they have seen before or heard about through trusted voices has an immediate advantage.
This is why digital influence only works when it creates recall.
A post does not need to drive immediate purchase. It needs to make the product recognizable later. When that recognition shows up in store, the decision feels easier and more confident.
That is the IRL Click.
How Everyday Creators Drive the IRL Click
Everyday creators influence buying behavior by showing how products fit into everyday life.
They share products through routines, grocery trips, family moments, and habits shoppers already recognize. Their content feels like recommendations, not persuasion.
That familiarity builds trust, carries into the store, and reduces hesitation at the shelf.
For food and beverage brands, this matters even more. Taste, value, and habit all influence repeat purchase. Everyday creators help brands earn that first try by making products feel known before they are chosen.
The IRL Click Framework
Winning with Hummingbirds means designing campaigns around how people actually buy.
The IRL Click framework has three parts:
1. Seed familiarity before the aisle
Activate everyday creators to share products in the context of routines, stores, and use cases shoppers recognize.
2. Show up where products are sold
Anchor content to specific retailers and cities so shoppers know exactly where to find the product.
3. Let the shelf confirm the choice
When shoppers encounter the product in store, recognition does the work. Confidence replaces hesitation.
Everything that follows in this guide shows how brands apply this framework across Costco, Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Target.
Winning the IRL Click by Retailer
The Costco Run
Why Costco Is a Unique IRL Moment
Costco shopping is intentional.
Shoppers arrive with a plan, a short list, and a high bar for value. They are not browsing casually. They are deciding which brands deserve space in their pantry, fridge, or freezer for weeks to come.
That makes recognition especially powerful.
When a shopper sees a product they already recognize at Costco, the decision feels justified. Familiarity signals trust. Seeing the product in bulk signals commitment. The shelf confirms what already feels like a smart choice.
For food and beverage brands, Costco is not about impulse. It is about confidence.
How the IRL Click Happens at Costco
Costco decisions are confirmed through three signals:
Familiarity before the store visit
Clear understanding of how the product fits into everyday routines
Confidence that the product is worth stocking up on
Everyday creators help establish all three before the Costco run ever happens.
By showing products as part of grocery hauls, family routines, meal prep, or snack rotations, creators normalize bulk buying and answer the unspoken question shoppers bring to Costco.
Will we actually use this?
When that question is already answered, the shelf becomes a confirmation point.
Costco Case Studies
OLIPOP Variety Packs
Content showed how OLIPOP fits into daily routines rather than positioning it as a one time novelty. By the time shoppers encountered the variety pack at Costco, it felt familiar, practical, and worth committing to.
MUSH Overnight Oats
Creators showed MUSH as a consistent breakfast staple and grab and go option. Content focused on mornings, busy schedules, and repeat use, helping shoppers feel confident buying in bulk and integrating the product into daily routines.
Goodles Variety Packs
Creators framed Goodles as a freezer and pantry essential for busy households. The gluten free angle and variety format reinforced both value and versatility, making the Costco format feel intentional rather than excessive.
Jonny Pops Seasonal Promotions
Creators highlighted limited time availability and seasonal use cases, pairing urgency with everyday moments like summer treats and family outings. Shoppers arrived already aware of the promotion and ready to act.
Tate’s Bake Shop at Costco
Creators connected the product to hosting, snacks, and shared moments shoppers already trusted. The content reinforced familiarity for an established brand while reminding shoppers why it deserved a spot in their Costco cart.
Why This Works at Costco
Costco shoppers are selective. They choose fewer brands, but they buy more of the ones they trust.
Everyday creators help food and beverage brands earn that trust early by showing how products fit naturally into everyday life at scale.
When shoppers encounter those products at Costco, the decision feels easy. The IRL Click has already happened.
The Sprouts Discovery
Why Sprouts Is a Different IRL Moment
Sprouts is built for discovery.
Shoppers arrive open minded. They browse. They read labels. They look for better for you options and new ideas to work into their routines. Unlike Costco, where the decision is about commitment, Sprouts decisions are about curiosity and fit.
That makes familiarity work differently.
At Sprouts, the IRL Click happens when a product feels aligned with how a shopper already shops. When it feels like something they have seen before, heard about from someone they trust, or noticed during an everyday routine.
For food and beverage brands, Sprouts is where first trials begin.
How the IRL Click Happens at Sprouts
Sprouts decisions are shaped by three signals:
Recognition without pressure
Clear understanding of how the product fits into a routine
Confidence that the product aligns with personal values or goals
Everyday creators help establish these signals before a shopper ever enters the store.
By showing products as part of grocery runs, weekday meals, snack rotations, or simple swaps, creators make discovery feel familiar instead of overwhelming.
When shoppers encounter the product at Sprouts, it already feels like something they have seen, considered, and mentally approved.
Sprouts Case Studies
Seven Sundays Cereal Snackies
Creators framed Snackies as an easy grab for mornings, lunchboxes, and afternoon snacks. Content focused on routine and simplicity, helping shoppers feel confident trying something new without overthinking it.
OLIPOP Promotions at Sprouts
Creators highlighted in store deals and limited time offers, pairing value with familiarity. Shoppers arrived already aware of the promotion, making trial feel timely and intentional.
Mingle Mocktails Tropical Trio
Creators positioned the product as a fun but approachable option for casual gatherings and weeknight moments. The content normalized mocktails as part of everyday life rather than special occasions.
Hero Bread
Creators showed Hero Bread as a simple swap within existing meals. Content focused on how the product fit into routines shoppers already had, reducing friction around trying something new.
I and love and you Stir and Boom
Creators highlighted novelty and discovery while grounding the product in feeding routines and household needs. The content balanced curiosity with confidence.
MUSH Starter Packs
Creators showcased building a Sprouts run around familiar MUSH products, reinforcing recognition while encouraging exploration of additional items.
Why This Works at Sprouts
Sprouts shoppers are willing to try new products, but only when those products feel aligned with how they already shop.
Everyday creators help brands earn that alignment by introducing products through familiar routines and values. When shoppers encounter those products in store, curiosity turns into action without hesitation.
The Whole Foods Routine
Why Whole Foods Is a Trust Driven IRL Moment
Whole Foods is built on trust.
Shoppers arrive with expectations around quality, ingredients, and values. They are not just buying a product. They are choosing brands that align with how they want to eat, drink, and live.
That makes recognition especially important.
At Whole Foods, the IRL Click happens when a product feels familiar and aligned. Shoppers want to know what it is, why it fits their standards, and how it works in everyday life.
For food and beverage brands, Whole Foods is about consistency, credibility, and repeat purchase.
How the IRL Click Happens at Whole Foods
Whole Foods decisions are shaped by three signals:
Familiarity built over time
Clear understanding of ingredients, benefits, and use
Confidence that the brand aligns with personal values
Everyday creators help establish these signals by showing products in routines that feel thoughtful, intentional, and attainable.
By featuring products in meals, morning rituals, wellness moments, and simple swaps, creators reinforce trust and alignment over time.
When shoppers encounter the product in store, recognition and values do the work together.
Whole Foods Case Studies
GOOD GOOD Fruit Spreads
Creators positioned the product as a smarter pantry staple for everyday breakfasts and snacks. Content emphasized ingredient transparency and simple use cases, helping shoppers feel confident choosing it regularly rather than as a one time trial.
Cure Hydration
Creators highlighted Cure within wellness routines and post workout moments, often showing the product during grocery trips or alongside other trusted Whole Foods finds. This reinforced both discovery and credibility.
Doughlicious
Creators framed Doughlicious as an indulgence that still fit within Whole Foods expectations. Content balanced treat moments with ingredient confidence, making repeat purchase feel justified.
Mason Dixie
Creators showcased Mason Dixie as a breakfast solution for busy mornings. Content focused on consistency, quality, and routine, helping the product earn a reliable place in the freezer.
Lapo’s Non Alcoholic Negroni
Creators integrated the product into social and at home rituals, showing how it fit into evenings, gatherings, and mindful drinking routines. The content emphasized lifestyle fit rather than novelty.
Why This Works at Whole Foods
Whole Foods shoppers reward brands that feel consistent and aligned with their values.
Everyday creators help brands build that alignment over time by showing products as part of routines shoppers already care about.
When shoppers encounter those products on the shelf, the decision feels familiar, aligned, and easy to repeat.
The Target Run
Why Target Is a Recognition Driven IRL Moment
Target shopping is fast and familiar.
Shoppers arrive with a short list, but they expect to discover along the way. Food and beverage decisions often happen in motion, driven by recognition, convenience, and ease.
That makes familiarity the most powerful signal.
At Target, the IRL Click happens when a product looks familiar enough to grab without stopping to evaluate. Shoppers are not looking to learn from scratch. They are choosing what feels known and easy to add to the cart.
For food and beverage brands, Target is about visibility, recognition, and repeat purchase.
How the IRL Click Happens at Target
Target decisions are shaped by three signals:
Instant recognition
Clear understanding of how the product fits into everyday routines
Confidence that the product will meet expectations
Everyday creators help establish these signals before the Target run ever happens.
By showing products as part of Target trips, weekly resets, family routines, and convenience moments, creators build familiarity that carries into the store.
When shoppers encounter the product in the aisle, recognition does the work.
Target Case Studies
Outshine Frozen Treats
Creators connected the product to warm weather routines and household moments. Content reinforced seasonal relevance while keeping the product familiar and easy to choose.
Ocean’s Halo Kimbap
Creators highlighted discovery while grounding the product in familiar meal contexts. Content showed how something new could still fit easily into existing routines.
Kosterina Olive Oil and Olives
Creators positioned Kosterina as an elevated pantry staple. Content focused on simple cooking moments and everyday use, helping the product feel accessible rather than aspirational.
HUM Daily Cleanse
Creators showed the product as part of broader routine resets, often tied to Target trips. Content reinforced recognition within the wellness aisle and supported repeat purchase behavior.
Why This Works at Target
Target shoppers move quickly. They choose what they recognize.
Everyday creators help brands earn that recognition early by showing products in moments shoppers already associate with Target.
When shoppers encounter those products in store, the IRL Click happens naturally.
What Winning Looks Like Across Retailers
The IRL Click looks different in every store, but the underlying pattern stays the same.
Across Costco, Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Target:
Familiarity beats persuasion
Context matters more than channel
Recognition carries across retail moments
Confidence is the real conversion
1. Familiarity Beats Persuasion
Shoppers rarely want to be convinced in store.
They want to choose what already feels familiar. Across every retailer, the products that win are the ones shoppers recognize from earlier moments, not the ones asking for attention at the shelf.
Everyday creators help brands build that familiarity early by showing products in routines shoppers already live.
When familiarity is established, the shelf simply confirms the choice.
2. Context Matters More Than Channel
The same message does not work everywhere.
What resonates at Costco is different from what resonates at Sprouts or Target. But what matters most is not the platform. It is the context in which the product is shown.
Successful brands anchor creator content to:
The retailer where the product is sold
The routines that match that environment
The buying mindset shoppers bring into that store
This is how digital discovery translates into in store confidence.
3. Recognition Carries Across Retail Moments
Shoppers do not experience retailers in isolation.
They see content on their phones. They run errands. They browse different stores throughout the week. Recognition built in one moment carries into the next.
Everyday creators help brands build recognition that travels with the shopper, showing up wherever and whenever the product is encountered.
This is why creator led discovery supports both trial and repeat purchase.
4. Confidence Is the Real Conversion
Across all retailers, the strongest signal before purchase is confidence.
When shoppers feel confident, decisions happen faster and with less hesitation. They are more likely to try, to stock up, and to come back for more.
Everyday creators seed that confidence by making products feel known, relevant, and easy to choose before the shelf ever comes into play.
How Hummingbirds Makes This Easy
Designing for the IRL Click is powerful, but executing it consistently across retailers, cities, and campaigns can feel complex.
That is where Hummingbirds comes in.
Hummingbirds helps food and beverage brands activate everyday creators in the places that matter most, making it easier to show up before the aisle and influence buying moments at scale.
Built for Retail First
Hummingbirds is designed specifically for brands that sell in stores.
Instead of broad influencer campaigns, Hummingbirds focuses on:
Specific retailers where products are sold
Cities and regions that matter most to growth
Creators who already shop those stores
This ensures that every campaign supports shelf level recognition and in store confidence, not just online engagement.
Everyday Creators, Not Influencers
Hummingbirds works with everyday creators who influence through trust and familiarity.
These creators are shoppers, parents, professionals, and food lovers who naturally share products as part of their routines. Their content feels like recommendations, not ads.
For food and beverage brands, this makes discovery feel approachable and relevant, helping products feel known before they are chosen.
Campaigns Designed Around Buying Moments
Every Hummingbirds campaign is built around how people actually shop.
Brands can:
Launch retailer specific activations
Highlight new availability or promotions
Support trial, restocks, and seasonal moments
Creators share products in the context of grocery trips, routines, and everyday use, reinforcing recognition that carries into the store.
Content You Can Use Beyond Social
Hummingbirds campaigns generate content that works beyond the initial post.
Brands regularly reuse creator content across:
Organic social
Paid media
Email and website content
Retail and ecommerce pages
This makes each campaign more efficient and helps reinforce familiarity across multiple touchpoints before the buying moment.
Low Lift for Lean Teams
Executing creator campaigns across retailers takes time.
Hummingbirds handles:
Creator sourcing and selection
Campaign communication and coordination
Content review and reporting
This allows brand teams to focus on growth while still showing up consistently before the aisle.
Designed to Scale With You
Whether a brand is launching in a few cities or expanding nationally, Hummingbirds supports growth at every stage.
Campaigns can be adjusted by retailer, region, and objective, making it easier to build momentum as distribution expands.
Turning Familiarity Into Growth
Winning in retail does not come from louder campaigns or more impressions.
It comes from showing up early, building familiarity through trusted voices, and letting confidence do the work when shoppers reach the shelf.
Across Costco, Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Target, the brands that win follow the same pattern. They seed recognition before the aisle, anchor discovery to where products are sold, and design campaigns around how people actually choose.
That is the IRL Click.
Everyday creators make this possible by normalizing products in everyday life. They shape what shoppers recognize, remember, and trust so that when the buying moment arrives, the decision feels easy.
Hummingbirds helps food and beverage brands apply this approach consistently across retailers, cities, and growth stages.
ready to drive the IRL click?
If you are ready to influence buying moments before they happen and build momentum at the shelf, Hummingbirds is here to help.
Whether you are launching in a new retailer, supporting existing distribution, or scaling across regions, we will help you design campaigns that show up early and convert when it counts.