For Retail, the Secret is Location, Location, Location

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DMAs, Zip Code, Zip Code+ 4

Shoppers move effortlessly between online shopping and in-store experiences, so it’s necessary for retailers to scale their marketing to achieve success across the board. It doesn’t matter if the retailer is a department store, an online powerhouse, or a Main Street boutique: retail business starts at the local level.

Shopping experiences are always local, whether if they’re online or in-store. Think about it:

  • We buy what we can access – whether that means popping into the local bakery or ordering specialty baking equipment online.
  • The product needs to be placed into your hand in your home or place of business.

Locality goes deeper than physical location. Successful retail business is rooted in its nuanced ability to speak in the context of the person’s “real life” – not only where they live, but also where they are in the purchase cycle. It’s a basic concept, but one that can be lost in the potential anonymity of digital advertising. It isn’t as simple as geotargeting – truly impactful local ad campaigns know how to speak the language of the audience they wish to reach and how to leverage location data.

Here’s how retailers can use video to successfully drive retail business – online and in-store:

Use video to drive in-store visits

Google reports that three in four consumers who find local information in search results helpful are more likely to visit stores1. 71% of in-store shoppers who use smartphones for online research say their device has become more important to their in-store experience2. The Takeaway - online product research is bolstering the consumer in-store experience. Performance Video strategy has the power to deliver video ads to targeted audiences while they’re conducting this research, and to use messaging that is within the context of both their purchase search and daily life. Set a KPI for your performance video campaign related to in-store visits.

Deliver offers, messages and content that is relevant to the person’s place in the purchase cycle

Modern Commerce Focused on Extreme Personalization” was a subheadline on CMO.com recently about the next round of retail disruption. In one survey, Google reported that 85% of respondents indicated they are more likely to shop in places that deliver personalized coupons and exclusive offers in-store1. The Takeaway - We’ve said it before on the Sightly blog – personalization is a basic expectation from consumers. If you want to target them effectively, you must deliver content that is just for them. A key to that is contextually relevant ads, true to their geography and the customer’s purchase path.

Geotarget beyond the zip code

Increase effectiveness by using Performance Video ads to geotarget not only by location such as a zip code or DMA, but also by personalizing creative for the consumer based on their behavior and device. The Takeaway - It’s not enough to target a zip code. Add layers of depth to pinpoint the shopper you want, and who wants you.

In summary, the retail shopping experience may be going through a disruption, but consumers themselves remain grounded in their towns. Brick-and-mortar stores have as much to gain from targeted performance video ads as e-tailers. Jump start your strategy with a primer on performance video. Download our infographic for details.

 

  1. Think with Google
  2. Think with Google