What’s the most important customer data point you need to know this holiday season? Location.

Planit Agency
December 3, 2014

If you’re not advertising on mobile this holiday season, your brand is missing out—big time. A typical American spends an average of three hours on his or her mobile device every day, according to Business Insider. Similarly, Google has reported that 90% of all media interactions are screen-based. But this isn’t breaking news; you already know mobile is critical to your company, no matter if you’re selling clothing, diapers, or power tools.

The spectacular rise of the second-screen phenomenon—people watching TV while on their mobile devices—has made it more important than ever to build and maintain a strong mobile presence and stay top of mind with target audiences.

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How should a brand do just that amidst the barrage of holiday deals and steals?

Hyper-local mobile advertising is an important tool brands should be using right now. Hyper-local advertising is changing the way businesses reach consumers by tracking customers who’ve visited their website and sending them relevant coupons and ads encouraging their return.

Planit recently ran a campaign with Acura that identified and mapped web activity in order to find customers shopping online for cars in the greater Baltimore area. Using the information we collected, we devised a media strategy that pushed Acura ads to the devices of relevant users based on ZIP codes within a five-mile radius of the dealerships. People who clicked on the ad were taken to a custom landing page of their nearest Acura dealership (based on their current location).

Geo-fencing campaigns are also making a big impact on customer buying habits. This form of geo-targeting directs users to relevant content based on their GPS location. For a recent campaign with the Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Planit ran mobile ads within a five-mile radius of each of their six primary care physician locations in Baltimore County. Any mobile device (phone, tablet, etc.) that fell within one of these fences was served an ad leading users to a landing page driving them to the closest doctor’s office. This tactic made it easy to help GBMC demonstrate the convenience of their primary care offices, while simultaneously showing the reach of the hospital’s network.

Two completely different industries used the same tactics to get significant results.

Remember: Santa may know who’s been naughty or nice, but smartphones know who’s looking to buy waterproof boots or is in the market for an eye exam—and where to find the best price. Smart use of hyper-local advertising can ensure that you reach consumers while they are at home, work, and play.