Quick Takeaways:
- Geospatial marketing data goes beyond basic location-based marketing, enabling brands to segment audiences and target ads with precision.
- Foot traffic analysis provides insights into audience flow and peak times.
- Competitive insights allow brands to reach potential customers near competitor locations.
As brands seek to increase relevance and engagement, geospatial marketing data is transforming how they reach audiences. From advanced polygon targeting to predictive audience segmentation, this data allows marketers to create more precise, impactful campaigns. In this blog, we’ll explore ways brands can use geospatial data beyond polygon targeting to stay ahead in location-based marketing.
What is Geospatial Marketing Data and How is it Used?
Geospatial marketing data encompasses location information gathered from devices, GPS, and geographic systems, enabling brands to engage with target audiences in highly specific places. Originally, brands used this data for basic location-based marketing (such as targeting within a radius), but advances in data technology now allow for hyper-precise targeting.
How Does Polygon Targeting and Geospatial Marketing Transform Ad Campaigns?
Polygon targeting is a revolutionary step up from simple radius targeting. It allows marketers to create custom boundaries to focus ad delivery precisely within a defined area, such as a shopping mall or university campus, without spillover. This specificity helps brands optimize their budgets and reach only relevant audiences.
Aroscop’s polygon targeting achieves 95%+ accuracy in ad placements by targeting well-defined geographic areas using accurate lat-long co-ordinates or customized polygon marked areas, even in rural locations where traditional targeting might waste 30-40% of ad spend. Polygon targeting is powerful and combining geospatial marketing data the potential extends far beyond.
With Aroscop’s store visit attribution which uses geospatial data, brands can measure the impact of their campaigns by tracking when targeted users visit specific store locations within these defined polygons. This advanced feature links digital ad exposure directly to foot traffic, providing brands with concrete data on campaign performance.
Here’s how it works:
- Impression Tracking: When an ad is shown (an impression), our system records anonymous but unique user identifiers, such as device or user IDs, to monitor engagement.
- Visit Attribution: After an impression is delivered, the system continues to track the same user identifier. If the user enters the store’s designated catchment area—a 25-meter radius around the store—it’s recorded as a successful store visit.
- Store Visits: The system successfully tracks and attributes store visits, showing a direct link between ad impressions and foot traffic at the store. This provides brands with valuable insights into campaign effectiveness by measuring the direct impact of ads on in-store engagement.
Example: If a clothing retailer targets nearby college campuses, Aroscop’s store visit attribution will show how many individuals, after seeing the ad, actually visit the store. This data helps brands understand campaign performance, measure ROI, and refine future targeting efforts based on real-world results.
This capability allows brands to:
- Measure in-store engagement directly resulting from digital ads.
- Optimize campaigns based on actual visit data rather than online metrics alone.
- Refine polygon boundaries or ad placements based on the foot traffic insights provided by store visit attribution.
Advanced Applications of Geospatial Marketing Data
Geospatial marketing data can deliver valuable insights and powerful targeting abilities. Here are advanced ways brands are using this data:
1. Predictive Audience Segmentation
Predictive audience segmentation uses historical location patterns to identify where target audiences are likely to be, based on trends. For example, a brand targeting young professionals can analyze past data to anticipate peak times in popular office districts, delivering ads during high-engagement periods.
2. Foot Traffic Analysis
Foot traffic analysis allows brands to measure audience movement patterns and peak times around specific locations. By understanding customer flow, brands can make data-driven decisions about where to place ads and which times maximize engagement.
Example: A retail chain can use foot traffic analysis to identify peak hours at various store locations, adjusting promotions to attract customers during both high and low traffic periods.
3. Competitive Insights Through Geospatial Data
Geospatial data can help brands understand consumer behavior around competitor locations. By analyzing foot traffic near competitor sites, brands can create targeted ads for audiences frequenting those locations, attracting them with personalized offers.
Example: A coffee shop chain could use this data to reach customers at nearby competitor cafes, offering discounts to encourage them to try a new location.
4. Audience Behavior Analysis for High-Intent Targeting
Audience behavior analysis reveals patterns like visit frequency, duration, and times of day, allowing brands to segment high-intent audiences. A fitness brand, for example, might focus on individuals who visit gyms multiple times a week, tailoring ads that align with their fitness routine.
Case Study: Apparel Brand Campaign Targeting College Campuses
An apparel brand used advanced polygon targeting to reach students at nearby college campuses. By promoting student-focused offers at key times, the brand successfully increased in-store traffic and online sales among the younger demographic.
Case Study: Event-Based Targeting at Concert Venues
Brands leveraged event-based targeting at large gatherings, such as concerts or sports events. For instance, a food delivery service promoted post-event discounts to concertgoers, encouraging them to order from their phones as they left the venue.
Challenges and Ethical Considerations in Geospatial Marketing
Using geospatial data responsibly is essential. Data privacy is a critical concern, as consumers expect transparency in how their location data is managed. Brands should ensure that data is anonymized, respect user consent, and comply with privacy regulations like GDPR.
Data accuracy is equally important. Poor data can lead to mistargeted ads, which not only wastes resources but can also damage brand reputation. Aroscop prioritizes data accuracy to ensure reliable ad placements and minimize spillover, maintaining high standards in data integrity.
Conclusion: Unlocking the Future of Geospatial Marketing with Precision Targeting
The future of geospatial marketing lies in real-time, refined targeting that connects brands with audiences on a more personal level. By integrating dynamic audience insights, real-time foot traffic data, and advanced geospatial tools, brands can deliver hyper-personalized, location-based experiences. Combining these capabilities with precise polygon targeting, like that offered by Aroscop, provides brands a unique advantage—enabling them to track audience behavior, drive in-store engagement, and maximize ROI with every ad placement. This strategic approach empowers brands to resonate deeply with consumers and gain a competitive edge in the evolving marketing landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is polygon targeting in geospatial marketing?
Polygon targeting is a precise location-based marketing technique that allows brands to define custom boundaries around specific areas, like a store or venue, to deliver ads only within that targeted space. - How does store visit attribution work in polygon targeting?
Store visit attribution links ad impressions to physical visits by tracking when a user who viewed an ad enters a defined area around a store. This helps measure ad effectiveness by showing direct foot traffic generated from campaigns. - What are the benefits of combining geospatial data with polygon targeting?
Using geospatial data with polygon targeting allows brands to optimize their reach by understanding audience behaviors, tracking foot traffic, and engaging relevant audiences within specific locations. This combination improves ad relevance and ROI. - Is geospatial data accurate for rural areas?
Yes, platforms like Aroscop are designed to achieve high accuracy, even in rural areas, reducing ad wastage and ensuring precise targeting. - What insights can brands gain from foot traffic analysis?
Foot traffic analysis reveals audience movement patterns and peak times, helping brands decide when and where to place ads for maximum impact and engagement.
