DOOH ‘supercharges purchase intent with store location’

Brands that include store locator information on digital out of home campaigns, so shoppers can navigate their way to physical locations, can increase overall purchase intent by up to 20% and even higher at 110% for impulse buys, according to a new analysis.

The report, “The store locator effect: How store information moves audiences from screen to store”, has been published by Vistar Media, part of T-Mobile Advertising Solutions, in partnership with Omnicom Media and Annalect to examines how the placement and design of store locators in programmatic DOOH shapes consumer intent.

The study tested advertising creatives for three store locator placements, with location information placed at the top, middle and bottom of the ad, and a control unit without any location details. They ran across retail, quick service restaurant (QSR) and consumer packaged goods (CPG) campaigns.

Across the study, top and bottom placements consistently outperformed the middle of the creative, where store information competed with headlines and imagery and was more easily overlooked.

For CPG campaigns, top placement drove the strongest overall purchase intent lift (20% vs. control), while for retail and QSR campaigns, bottom placement drove the strongest overall visit intent (9% vs. control).

The effect varies by category; store locators had a strong impact across the board, with retail and QSR campaigns seeing significant lifts in visit intent.

The largest effect was observed among CPG impulse-buy products (for instance sweets and chocolate), where purchase intent rose by over 110%, suggesting that store locators become especially valuable when a purchase decision can be made spontaneously.

However, design is just as important as placement. Independent of where store information appeared, creative execution had a measurable effect. Using a familiar location “pin” lifted visit intent by 16%, and applying high-contrast design between the store information and the rest of the creative lifted visit or purchase intent (depending on category) by 10%.

Additional branding can also influence brand recognition. When a store locator prominently featured another brand, such as a supermarket, dealership or retailer, the additional branding appeared to divide attention between the advertiser and the reseller. For campaigns focused on building brand recognition, particularly for newer or emerging brands, this is worth keeping in mind when designing store locator content.

Vistar Media VP, creative studio and creative solutions Martine Hammink said: “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.”

Omnicom NL OOH director Roos Goesz added: “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’.”

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