What is Local Store Marketing?

Local Store Marketing is a specific plan targeted to a specific group or groups of potential customers within a trading area to create awareness and initiate trial purchases of your product or service with potential customers right in your own backyard - the three to five-mile radius around each store location.

Why is Local Store Marketing important?

Local Store Marketing is one of the most valuable tools a sales plan arsenal and is frequently overlooked. Many companies budget their local marketing efforts around Advo's, Val-Paks, and door hangers without examining the trade areas for sales opportunities. While using other marketing resources can produce results, Local Store Marketing is one of the most cost effective and proven tools to achieve long-term business relationships with customers and the community.

What do Local Store Marketing programs do?

Local Store Marketing programs are created to:

• Enhance the store's image in the community
• Increase customer loyalty
• Build brand awareness
• Grow store traffic, sales and awareness
• Develop involvement and recognition within the local community

Will partnering help Local Store Marketing?

The key to success with Local Store Marketing is creating community partners. Partners should include all of those business and non-business organizations that interact with potential customers in the trade area. One can choose to reference the Yellow Pages, the Chamber of Commerce, local community newspapers, and even the building department to gather this information.

• Select businesses or non-profit organizations that fit with the type of service or products that business offers.
• Determine what kind of potential customers frequent the potential partner's place of business or interact with the activities of the potential partner.
• Focus on partner's whose customers/employees you would want to make their own.

Should Local Store Marketing include public relations?

An effective public relations program consists of regular, and consistent contact with the editorial community. Regular contact with the editors to keep them informed about the product, business and direction, keeps the business in the news and the brand top of mind with customers.

How does Local Store Marketing work?

Local Store Marketing is an on-going process intended to build sales over time in new stores, target stores or any store. It requires a consistent on-going effort and commitment.

Local Store Marketing plans need to be specific, measurable, planned, coordinated, executed all year long, with every store, consistently. This process ingrains the brand in the local community and the customer's minds.

If one builds or opens a store expecting guests to come in automatically becoming loyal guests immediately - the store will suffer. Local Store Marketing needs to be part of the store's life. It is about building relationships, giving back to the community, creating a venue for activity or entertainment, and serving the needs of customers within the 3-5 mile radius around the store for many, many years

How do you execute Local Store Marketing plans and programs?

Local Store Marketing plans and programs must be done with the operations team--regional, district, store managers, and franchisees. Determing their needs and ability to execute as well as timing is crucial to success with Local Store Marketing. The Local Store Marketing efforts should not burden the operators, but support them. Many marketing teams do not include this crucial role of operations, and the best plans and programs never see the light of day. Ultimately, it is about
buy-in.

If Local Store Marketing is so great, why doesn’t every chain use it?

Local Store Marketing is challenging. In fact, most advertising agencies do not offer this service to its multi-location clients because it is difficult and is a long term project and requires a great deal of effort. It takes on-going commitment, creativity, and lots of work. However, the best part of Local Store Marketing is its rewards. Local Store Marketing can make such an impact on a community and drive sales, frequency, loyalty and awareness, that it can eliminate the need for other forms of advertising expenditures.

Here is an example:

Get Local Store Marketing Started!

To get particular locations sales to grow and to generate awareness, a Local Store Marketing plan needs to be developed for store locations or trade areas.

Contact Duke Marketing to get started developing a comprehensive plan! duke@dukemarketing.com or call 415.492.4534

Objectives:

• Determine locations needing Local Store Marketing.
• Research areas and locations for plan development.
• Meet with GM's, franchisees, area managers to determine what has worked in the past, and gather information regarding store area, customer profile, etc.
• Create a test area of stores to test programs with strong store managers.
• Provide feedback from test stores.
• Develop specific Local Store Marketing tactics for stores/areas.
• Put together communications plan for store and work with GM to plan and communicate particular events to staff.
• Provide training for execution and implementation of programs.
• Execute Local Store Marketing plans per store and area.
• Evaluate results and determine next steps.
• Provide feedback to headquarters.

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