Enabling product-focused display ads to drive local buyers

If you've been following the thread on this blog, you'll know that, despite the web's popularity and convenience as a way to buy goods, more than 95 percent of purchases are still bought at local stores. Another data point: many products purchased in stores are first researched carefully by consumers, using the web, before buying offline at a store.

In my last post, we looked at how one company in particular is driving web buyers to local stores; Toshiba is using the Krillion 360 Product Locator to connect web buyers with local dealers that have in-stock product. It's a natural fit because we know that a consumer on Toshiba's site is a serious buyer, and so of course Toshiba wants to show that person all his or her buying options as soon as that person is ready to consider purchase.

If you tried out our technology on Toshiba's laptop site (and I invite you to do so - just enter your ZIP in the 'Ready to Buy?' box), you'll see that our product locator fits seamlessly within the architecture, look/feel, and overall customer experience. So, you might ask, could this same technology be applied to other websites beyond those of manufacturers? What about display ads, for example?

Let's say you're an agency that develops and places display ads for consumer goods manufacturers. Now, Krillion can put the 'local' focus into your online display ads, connecting web shoppers with local, in- stock merchandise. We can also make your campaigns more measurable by tracking the click from ad to in-store purchase. And, we can do all this without any significant development on your part - technical integration is simple.

Here's how it works. You're in charge of the online campaign for a new washer: Clean Machine. You've developed a display ad and the media buyer is placing it in national media outlets. Unlike the national branding campaign that's running on TV, this ad aims to drive consumers to local retailers to learn more about the product.

Using the Krillion 360 Product Locator, these display ads can now feature in-stock products at local retailers - all the consumer needs to do is enter the ZIP code into to the ad. This means that you can add a compelling 'buy now' component for your consumer goods clients, and include not only an interactive ad unit (that offers 'what' and 'where' to buy information), but also a sale-oriented product showcase that drives buyers directly into stores or online retailers.

Take a look at the mock-up display ad below: the consumer enters a ZIP code and instantly gets a real-time lookup of local, in-stock product. From that screen, it's one or two clicks to completing the transaction at a local store. And of course this is all trackable and measurable.

Clicking on a "Buy locally" button takes the shopper directly to that retailer's website, with the SKU pre-loaded. And with a bit more customization, this approach can be applied to co-op marketing campaigns, where a specific retailer needs to be highlighted for a specific brand.

If you're an agency and would like to learn more, contact Marshall Pierce, here at Krillion.