A successful drive-to-store campaign can help retailers boost sales. Let’s take a closer look.

What is a drive-to-store campaign?

What does drive-to-store entail?

A drive-to-store campaign is a marketing strategy that uses digital means to attract customers to a physical point of sale.

When the customer buys something this way, it is known as a phygital purchase, where a customer researches a product or service online before buying the item.

These traffic acquisition campaigns are mainly carried out on a local scale and enable retailers to strengthen their link with customers.

The value of a drive-to-store campaign

The value of these campaigns lies in the commercial boost they can bring to a business.

Point of sale networks use this marketing device to boost sales and improve revenue, as well as advertising promotions or new products…

Measuring a drive-to-store campaign

Measuring a drive-to-store campaign involves the retailer monitoring certain indicators such as the number of visits to the shop and any particular peaks in footfall. Similarly, head office closely monitors the resultant increase in revenue.

Depending on the nature of the marketing campaign, additional KPIs can also be useful to track. For example, when it comes to digital levers such as ADS, the cost per result, cost per click, etc., are useful figures to look at…

Why are drive-to-store campaigns usually localized?

Queries with geo-targeted intent occur towards the end of the purchasing decision process. 

Points of sale are the last stop before the act of making a purchase. The manager is there to advise and facilitate conversion.

As the objective of a drive-to-store campaign is to boost sales, it makes sense to involve the local branch.

Local visibility and the activation of local marketing levers are therefore inextricably linked to a successful commercial business.

Some drive-to-store levers

Google Business Profile, the shop window of the online business

One way for a retail network to gain online visibility is through search engines. Currently, Google Business Profile is the service most used by local businesses to ensure their online presence.

Updating your business profile information allows Internet users to make informed decisions. Opening hours, customer reviews and products info are all indicators that encourage the customer to visit the shop.

Responding to comments helps reassure customers and also attracts them to the site. Review management is also useful for boosting the network’s profile.

Maxime, Marketing Manager at Hyperspread

Social networks like Facebook and Instagram are key when it comes to enticing customers

Regular posts on social network stimulate customers and can present a positive and modern image.

The term “social-to-store” refers to businesses who use these channels to attract customers into their shop. Posted content is seen by the retailer’s followers, boosting both engagement and reach.

There is a strong community link in local settings with customers feeling they are close to the point of sale. The public feels more involved.

Nano-influencers have the power to stimulate drive-to-store opportunities, which is an effective way to increase footfall.

Maxime, Marketing Manager at Hyperspread

Paid Media: generating in-store traffic through sponsorship

Local SEA is not a particularly common strategy among retailers. However, localized paid campaigns have a low acquisition cost. Relevance and precision targeting lead to better results at a low cost (ROI, etc.). 

Paid media can boost drive-to-store movements and strengthen the reach of campaigns overall. The effect is immediate and measurable.

Emails, texts… direct marketing to create a desire to visit your shop

Direct marketing campaigns are used to send a message to the consumer, a practice better tolerated on a local scale thanks to the close community links local branches have.

Promotions or loyalty schemes lend themselves particularly well to this strategy.

Text marketing can also boost a business’s local profile, like texting customers who have made a purchase in the last 3 months to remind them to leave a review.

Maxime, Marketing Manager at Hyperspread

Common drive-to-store strategies employed by retail chains

Here are some best practices from franchises and chains.

Click and collect

Placing an order, paying online then collecting from the point of sale.

This phenomenon best represents the shift towards hybrid behavior because it’s a combination of both digital and traditional retail.

Discounts and coupons

Various promotions or discounts that can be used in store. These have a direct impact on sales and are easy to track via the promotional codes that are distributed. It is a flexible method that can be advertised via many channels, including Google Post and text messaging. The easier the process is to understand, the better the results.

It is better to avoid over-mobilising the drive-to-store strategy. because interest can wane – and the overall impact can be lessened – if they occur too frequently.

Maxime, Marketing Manager at Hyperspread

Events: open days and workshops

Thanks to online platforms, local events can make a big splash on the web and social networks.

They give people a good reason to visit the shop. Nothing pulls in customers more effectively than open days or introductory workshops.

Events liven up the life of a store and increase its appeal by generating word of mouth.

Maxime, Marketing Manager at Hyperspread

A Waze Ads drive-to-store campaign

Waze Ads is a good example of a drive-to-store campaign. You can view customer cases on the official website.

In one case with KFC, we learn that the brand orchestrated national and local boosts to increase visits to its restaurants.

They used a marketing strategy known as a social media takeover to bolster the company’s peak periods. KFC also performs national marketing via Pins and Search.

The result? 39 euros generated for every euro spent.

Your drive-to-store strategy

Drive-to-store campaigns are vital to the longevity of a network. A chain has to be able to activate local marketing drives for its local branches to ensure a campaign has a better resonance. 

Local marketing platforms are designed for just this kind of scheme. By deploying a simple and effective solution, the head office and its local outlets strengthen the overall visibility of the brand.

Are you interested in a drive-to-store campaign? Does your network of outlets already have a local digital platform?

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