Drive-to-store is highly popular in the retail industry. As customers' behaviors change over time, it has become a topic of much discussion. This page will give you insight into how to leverage drive-to-store in your digital marketing strategy by 2024.
Drive-to-store refers to a set of marketing strategies designed to guide online customers to physical shops. By its very nature, it is an omnichannel approach, combining digital location data and in-store experience to provide a seamless experience to the user.
As we head into 2024, drive-to-store is set to become even more important for retailers. Customer behaviours have deeply evolved after the pandemic, and regulations have led tech platforms and marketing specialists to change their marketing practices.
In this article, we will explore how to leverage drive-to-store to drive foot traffic to physical locations and create new opportunities for sales and customer engagement.
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Post covid era has triggered the acceleration of consumption, as the customer will more and more look for the quickest solution to his need. Without a website, social media page, or other type of online presence, stores are likely to be overlooked by the majority of potential customers. In order to remain competitive, an online presence is no longer an option for multi-local brands as well as for stores.
Garner's research shows that 72% of people who conduct a local search online will visit a store within 8 kilometers of their current location. This underscores the importance of having an active online presence for local businesses. Relying solely on Google My Business and a well-functioning website is no longer enough. Retailers must now leverage digital marketing technologies to ensure they don't miss out on opportunities in their vicinity.
Retailers need to optimise their Google Maps presence to make sure potential customers can easily discover their physical locations. This makes it one of the most essential tools for them to increase their chances of staying close to people searching for products and services near them.
This highlights the significant impact that local search has on driving sales for retailers. A comprehensive drive-to-store campaign that leverages the power of multiple channels can help retailers drive foot traffic to their physical locations. As a final outcome, it increases the chances of reaching the correct audience, and drive in-store conversions.
The rise of voice search has become a notable new way for customers to search for products and services. Natural language algorithms, in combination with more accurate voice recognition technologies, make users more likely to use their voice for searches, benchmarks, and orders.
The direct consequence in the media mix of retailers is the necessity to refine optimisation for SERPs in order to stay relevant for the user.
For over 10 years, the dematerialisation of paper prospectuses has been increasingly in the spotlight. After Casino, Franprix, and Monoprix, Michel-Edouard Leclerc announced that his eponymous company, one of the most influential in French retail, would stop printing prospectuses for its stores. This supports a common assumption that all retail stores will have completely adopted digital advertising within five years. Most retailers will likely adopt these initiatives in the next few years.
To keep attracting people to stores from a specific catchment zone, new customer experiences have to be created, as well as new ways to think omnichannel marketing, including new formats, such as audio.
With the ever-rising use of streaming platforms, on-the-go content is the most underrated and overlooked opportunity of the moment. With an average listening rate of 93,3%, audio content is probably the most effective ad type for retention and memorization in 2024.
Audio content has the potential to be more engaging and interactive for retailers, providing a unique listening experience that can be tailored to the target audience. This has the potential to strengthen the bond between a brand and its customers.
With the experience of more than 42,000 campaigns, DeepReach unveils here the keys to make sure your marketing goals are achieved.
A well-designed drive-to-store campaign requires proper targeting. To do this, accurate data must be used for segmentation. We can then identify different audiences by considering factors like demographics, device usage, or behavior patterns. Through this, we can analyse and compare performance indicators and allocate budgets accordingly.
In the past, demographic segmentation was the most common approach to segmenting target audiences, but this has led to many misapplications and subsequent consequences. The decline of third-party cookies and the centralisation of data among major players like Meta, Google, Amazon, and TikTok are all examples of how a lack of proper segmentation can cause major issues. However, geographic segmentation has proven to be a powerful alternative and has been at the core of some of the most successful marketing strategies.
By using this approach, marketers can create more targeted campaigns and better understand the customers they are reaching. This allows them to more accurately identify their target audience, ensure their campaigns are tailored to the right people, and optimise their campaigns for maximum success.
Agencies may rely on traditional methods to tackle this challenge, but they often face many obstacles. By embracing the power of geographic segmentation and leveraging emerging technologies, online marketers can create more effective and efficient campaigns that drive results.
Localised communication is essential for connecting to the physical market, such as product availability, opening hours, shop launches, etc. At the heart of drive-to-store marketing lies the ability to deliver dynamic content, relevant visuals, and pertinent information from the local store.
Research suggests one in two internet users can be influenced by custom ads. In the post-pandemic era, customer proximity has become a vital factor for business success, especially when the entire experience is tailored to them.
By ensuring an ad offers this perfect mix of a relevant copy, adapted visuals, and customised information tailored to their vicinity, your stores are likely to experience a significant increase in performance.
Mobile apps can be used to provide exclusive in-store experiences, such as product demos or exclusive offers. You can leverage mobile apps such as Waze, audio platforms or social media apps to send customised ads to the users in your vicinity
Conversion rates can vary depending on a variety of factors, such as campaign targeting, messaging, and creative. Optimising campaigns based on data insights and testing different approaches can help improve conversion rates. DeepReach provides you with benchmark data and helps you optimise your campaigns before launch.
Drive-to-store campaigns are highly recommended for multiple physical locations! By leveraging location-based data and targeting customers based on proximity to each store, a campaign increases its chances of success by 32%.
Socio-demographic data (age, interest) of the vicinity, most used devices (phone, tablet, computer, etc.), or usage behavior (heavy users, abandoners, etc.) are generally recommended. You can take profit of DeepReach experience to anticipate your results based on these criteria
Drive-to-store campaigns must comply with local laws and regulations regarding data collection and usage. Be transparent with your customers about data collection and provide clear opt-in and opt-out options.
Offering discounts, special promotions or exclusive deals can incentivise customers to visit physical stores. Creating urgency around the offer can also help drive traffic. Providing an exclusive in-store experience can also be a draw, such as product demos or VIP access.
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