Here’s another study that demonstrates the value of local online advertising.
It’s an old story that most of us have accepted years ago, consumers research online and then buy offline. This is especially true for considered purchases where the cost of the product is substantial enough that a consumer wants to make sure they are buying the right product.
Unfortunately, many local retailers don’t have the time to understand the value or the mechanics of online advertising and just continue to spend their dollars and your co-op dollars on traditional media. Newspapers still work but not like they used to and certainly not exclusively.
Brand managers need to spend more time and resources on helping retailers get their message and the brand message in front of consumers beyond newspapers to online display, search, social and mobile.
The good news is that the technology exists today to make this happen. You can now easily provide assets for social media; build co-branded landing pages for your retailers; host landing pages, dealer sites and mobile sites, to name just a few things that will dramatically help influence consumers. And, track every click along the way.
The brand that fills this void first will win with consumers.