Local Communication in the Digital Era of Retail 4.0

The new technologies and tools available today for users who engage in webrooming (browsing online to buy offline) make it possible to carry out increasingly fast and precise searches. Users have become very agile and quick at retrieving information from the Store Locator and the Product Page on the corporate website, from Google My Business listings, from local Facebook pages, and from navigation directories.

We are witnessing the evolution of a market that has become more horizontal, inclusive, and social. Communication between users and brands has been “democratized,” and today the consumer takes center stage — no longer just the recipient of marketing and communication campaigns, but playing an increasingly active role. Users who webroom check reviews, both positive and negative, on Google My Business and Facebook to weigh the pros and cons of buying a product, compare online and offline prices, and make decisions very quickly, often on impulse.

Given the multitude of digital touchpoints, the online customer journey and users’ purchasing behavior are becoming ever less linear and predictable.

This impulsiveness in purchasing requires brands to be able to identify this type of user in real time in order to direct them to the nearest physical store. How? Through geolocation.

However, there are many distractions along the customer journey, so once the user has been identified at the most decisive moment, it’s necessary to capture their attention as quickly as possible with “ad hoc” communication designed at the local level, motivating them to buy specifically at the physical store that is closest to them.

THINK GLOBAL, ACT LOCAL

The evolution of geolocation technology in fact allows brands and chains to identify the exact location of a browsing user with a minimal margin of error.

Results in terms of increased traffic and revenue in stores will only be achieved, however, if brands know how to speak with a language designed at the local level for digital drive to store. The key requirement for increasing traffic and revenue in stores, therefore, is to create local ad campaigns to encourage webroomers to take action, as well as to manage digital touchpoints with complete, real-time updated information.

The ad campaigns loaded onto the digital touchpoints of the Local Customer Journey must include CTAs (calls to action) that align with the brand’s general advertising communication guidelines, while at the same time embracing the local reality, which — depending on the type of brand, whether luxury, upper-mid-market, or mass market — can take various forms: a discount available only offline at the nearest store, a time-limited promotion, a special service available only offline in the nearest area, or an exclusive event at the downtown store.

The power of the local ad campaign’s messaging is therefore used differently, designed to direct, guide, and advise the user, leading them to buy nearby.

This is therefore a new way of communicating that necessarily requires a change in mindset for companies when it comes to talking to the local user. RetailTune is the ideal partner thanks to its know-how and specialization in Local Digital Marketing and Drive to Store strategies, especially in light of the results achieved for its clients with lead acquisition rates of 30% to 60% and store visit rates of 15% to 25%, varying by sector and campaign strength.

Let’s not forget that all campaigns are organic, meaning zero cost, loaded onto the main digital touchpoints visited by users.

Unlike paid campaigns, RetailTune positions its Drive to Store ad campaigns with a Loyalty and Care approach, improving the customer experience for users who expect and receive the information they’re looking for even before setting foot in the physical store. Users in the Retail 4.0 era want an increasingly satisfying, engaging, and personalized experience.

RetailTune not only builds their loyalty but also surprises them, because it’s able to anticipate their expectations!