In-store marketing is relatively affordable when compared to other forms of advertising like billboard ads and TV spots. For instance, a television commercial costs four to eight times more than in-store advertising.

Beyond that, there are capricious price surcharges to consider; commercial advertising channels may charge those with low brand awareness a higher amount as a premium for enhancing their status, or they may charge prominent sellers a higher amount for exclusivity. 

On the other hand, in-store marketing gives you more control over your spending and helps you achieve the higher immediate conversions and long-term returns you desire. Mobile, in particular, is the in-store marketing channel that will deliver the best returns.

What’s So Great About In-Store Marketing?

Consumer buyer behavior has changed dramatically over the past 10 years. It’s still worth running targeted, product-driven campaigns that appeal to e-commerce shoppers, but the reality is that 82% of purchasing decisions are made in-store while shoppers browse at brick-and-mortar locations, and 62% of shoppers admit to making impulsive, unplanned purchases. An estimated 16% of these unplanned purchases are driven by in-store promotions. Appealing to customers in this environment offers the perfect opportunity to plant suggestions, overcome obstacles, and win over open-minded audiences.

You hear much about the return on investment (ROI) of content marketing, SEO, video, and email. However, marketing within the premises of a brick-and-mortar store has distinct advantages:

• Target window shoppers and foot traffic who may be unaware of your offerings. 
• Trigger product recall in customers who have had previous exposure. 
• Support cross-promotions and new product launches with eye-catching visuals.
• Release surprise offerings that delight routine shoppers and keep them returning.
• Promote sale items to appeal to impulse buyers and increase order size. 
• Educate on-site to overcome obstacles and enable smarter purchases.

What makes in-store marketing “efficient” can vary based on your organizational goals. Often we think in terms of ROI, but other measures may include brand awareness, purchase conversion rate, incremental sales activity, and future purchase intent.

Why Is Mobile Marketing the ‘King’ of In-Store Marketing?

The majority of shoppers are actively using their phones while shopping anyway. Over 84% of today’s shoppers use their mobile devices actively in stores. They may look up a price, seek additional details about a product, or conduct a quick competitor comparison. Harnessing this readily available technology for marketing is not only easy and affordable for brands to launch, but also highly effective.

Mobile is trending now, and is only expected to continue growing in the future. Marketers have significantly increased budget allocations toward mobile over the past five years, as the value becomes more and more apparent. Shoppers today seek a more personalized experience with information at their fingertips and a greater omnichannel convenience. A study found that 60% of customers would like to start paying for purchases using loyalty points stored on their smartphones. Mobile wallets, third-party shopping apps, and mobile scanners are trends we’re likely to see innovators continue adopting in the coming years.

Mobile customers represent opportunity, as they arrive already primed to buy. Connecting with customers who may be further along the path to purchase is a highly effective way of achieving greater impact from your marketing efforts. Researchers at Deloitte estimate 64 cents of every dollar spent in retail establishments is influenced by digital—particularly mobile devices. Furthermore, Google has found that 76% of people who conduct a local search on their smartphones will visit a business within 24 hours, and 28% of those searches result in a purchase.

Mobile Marketing With Shopkick

Shopkick is a third-party mobile marketing platform that helps users accrue reward “kicks” (points) in return for a gift card of their choosing. These kicks are earned through various shopping-related activities—watching branded videos, flipping through digital lookbooks, locating items in-store, and making purchases—some of which can be completed online in the comfort of their homes! Shoppers can use the app at home to shop online and plan their trips, or in-store to learn more about new products and interact with them at-shelf. 

When Tyson Foods partnered with Shopkick for their Super Bowl campaign, they saw a 4:1 ROI. Using our platform for video and lookbook advertising—as well as loyalty points—they were able to build awareness and consideration, inspire customers with game-day food messaging, drive in-aisle consideration, and preserve their margin without deep-discounting. 

Similarly, Kelloggs saw a 5:1 ROI and 35% conversion rate in promoting their new Nutri-Grain Bakery Delights Crumb Cakes through Shopkick.

Nearly half of buyers had not purchased a Nutri-Grain product within the last year. However, 55% of buyers said they were “very likely” to purchase another Nutri-Grain product in the near future.  

While there are many channels for in-store marketing, the mobile channel is fun, dynamic, and engaging. Even if you already have a mobile app that customers use, Shopkick can be used as a complementary tool to help you reach new audiences and keep your brand top of mind. Developing a campaign through our platform is quick, affordable, and intuitive. 

Want to begin incorporating mobile, the most effective in-store marketing channel, into your greater marketing strategy? Check out more success stories or contact Shopkick to learn how to become one of our partners. 

Image courtesy of Tyler Olson
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