GroundTruth recently undertook a quantitative research study into opinions on location-based advertising amongst digital professionals in the UK, which revealed marketers consider it the lynchpin between online and offline behaviours. To delve a little deeper into the findings, we have conducted interviews with a host of industry leaders from brands, agency, consultant and trade body point of view.
In our final interview, we speak to Jon Mew, CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).
What is the primary benefit of location data in advertising?
Our survey found 71% of respondents believed location data has the ability to provide customer insights that no other channel can.
Location data provides something that is completely unique. It provides a true picture of who someone is to a level you just can’t get elsewhere.
Location data provides something that is completely unique. It provides a true picture of who someone is to a level you just can’t get elsewhere, which helps you very accurately define audiences. Location gives you something you can’t get elsewhere, which is the ability to build your understanding of people based on where they’ve been, where they are now and right through to their end actions in store.
What role can location play in joining up consumers on and offline experiences?
Our survey found 87% believe that location marketing can be the lynchpin between online and offline customer behaviour.
Location acts as the bridge between the off and offline experiences a brand offers consumers. It’s very powerful for advertisers in helping measure the impact of online advertising in the real world. In fact, location data is increasingly powering offline media, such as outdoor advertising, as the lines become ever more blurred.
How effective are location-based mobile campaigns in increasing visits to bricks and mortar stores?
Our survey found 69% of UK digital marketers who have run mobile location-based marketing campaigns have tied performance to offline activity such as store visits.
At the IAB, we are having an increasing number of conversations with brands and agencies about how they can use location marketing to drive more visits to their stores. It’s definitely becoming more than just being interested in location and more about doing it. We do though still have a long way to go until we’re reached its full potential, which is huge for advertisers.
How can location data be used to plan activity in other media channels?
Our survey found 83% believe that the data collected from location targeting can be used to plan other media channels.
Its use in outdoor advertising is the most natural, most effective fit. Location is incredibly powerful at increasing the targeting of outdoor and measuring its effectiveness. Location data also makes online advertising more effective. Even TV advertising can become improved through the addition of location data. It should be used in TV advertising alongside any other metric used to help make TV creative more targeted and more effective.
At what stage of the marketing channel is mobile location targeting most effective?
Our research found 42% believe mobile location targeting is essential in the awareness stage, 43% in the consideration stage and 40% in the post-sale phase.
The important thing about location is that it is effective at every stage in the marketing funnel. From first identifying an audience to informing an overall marketing campaign, to how people respond to an ad and take an action to finally buy the product.
What are the key challenges to mobile location-based marketing?
The biggest challenges are accuracy and trust. It’s so important to advertisers that they can trust the data and it’s important to us as an industry that we can deliver on this.
