Store locators drive higher purchase intent, report

The study tested three placements for store information: the top, middle and bottom of an ad creative. A control version contained no store location information.

Vistar Media research finds that adding store locator information to digital out-of-home advertising can influence consumers’ intent to visit stores and make purchases, with results varying according to placement, design and product category.

The study, conducted with Omnicom Media and Annalect, examined how store locator placement and design affect consumer responses to programmatic digital out-of-home advertising. The research covered campaigns in retail, quick service restaurants (QSR) and consumer packaged goods (CPG).

Store locator placement affects consumer response

Across the campaigns, store locators positioned at the top or bottom of the creative generally performed better than those placed in the middle. For CPG campaigns, top placement generated a 20 percent lift in purchase intent compared with the control. For retail and QSR campaigns, bottom placement generated a 9 percent lift in visit intent.

DOOH results vary across retail, QSR and CPG

The impact also differed by category. Retail and QSR campaigns recorded significant increases in visit intent when store locator information was included.

The strongest result came from CPG impulse-buy products, including sweets and chocolate. Purchase intent for these products increased by more than 110 percent, indicating that store information can have a particularly pronounced effect when consumers can make a purchase decision spontaneously.

Design choices influence store locator performance

The research also found that design elements affected responses independently of where store information appeared. Including a familiar location pin increased visit intent by 16 percent, while using high contrast between the store information and the rest of the creative increased visit or purchase intent, depending on the category, by 10 percent.

Additional branding within a store locator also influenced brand recognition. When the locator prominently featured another brand, such as a supermarket, dealership or retailer, the research found that attention could be divided between the advertiser and reseller. The study notes that this consideration can be relevant to campaigns focused on building recognition for emerging brands.

Martine Hammink, VP, Creative Studio & Creative Solutions, Vistar Media: "This research shows that small creative decisions, like where a store locator sits and how it's designed, have a quantifiably meaningful effect on how audiences respond. When thoughtfully considered, a simple store locator becomes a measurable driver of consumer intent. It's not a one-size-fits-all approach, but we hope this study gives brands and creative teams real evidence to make their creative outdoor advertising decisions more intentional and impactful."

Roos Goesz, OOH Director, Omnicom NL: "With Programmatic DOOH and DCO, we can deliver outdoor ads far more efficiently at the right place, time, and moment. That means better visibility, attention, and engagement. This study gives us the solid backing and real insights we need. Seeing how dynamic solutions like store locators perform lets us shift from 'using potential' to 'proving real value'."

The full report can be accessed here

www.vistarmedia.com

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