If you have one or more physical point of sale, making yourself visible to your local audience and targeting the customers closest to you are the most effective ways of promoting your business and your products. To do so, you can use some digital medias : Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, or even programmatic display and DOOH (Digital Out-Of-Home).
Setting the good parameters for your digital campaigns on these medias is a necessity to not waste your budget needlessly and to guarantee the good performance of your local ads. However, the success of a local campaign is not only about the good use of digital medias: the design of the graphical and textual elements of your local ad (What advertising people refers to as the “advertising copy, “creative” or the “creation”) is extremely important to correctly address your audience and attract new customers to the shop.
In this article, we will first present the objectives of a local ad, then explore together how to create the best graphical designs for your digital campaigns, to finally understand the advantages of local advertising over generic advertising.
The objectives of local ads
In local advertising, the most important thing is to design your campaigns in a way that they are addressed to your local audience and not a national audience. Your future customers must understand that this is an advertisement for a company located close to them and destined to them.
The main goal of local advertising or multilocal advertising (In case of several broadcasting zones) is to create a proximity and a complicity between a brand and its local audience. Local advertising will showcase what potential customers can discover by themselves: the shop in their city, its brand, its front, its staff, its manager, the specific products sold here, different promotions available in the store, and so on. Here are some advices to boost the effectiveness of your local ads on digital media.
First of all, your visuals must reflect your local brand identity (Your personality, you geographical location, your closeness to local communities, etc.). They will also depend on the type of operation to launch.
If it concers the opening of a specific store, you can introduce geolocation elements while respecting your brand charter. As an exemple, you can add an access map to the store or show the store’s front.
If the local ad is involving a promotion on a particuliar product, you can highlight a local product, or the store’s staff. Finally, you can also use your local campaigns to recruit:
Afterwards, to maximize the feeling of closeness, you must integrate geolocated variables in your ads. With DeepReach, not only can you vary the store’s name and address automatically, but also the products flow that will be showcased.
If, for example, you are a retailer, you will be able to offer sales on certain products based on your local stocks. This is made possible by our partnership with Aristid, which collects products flows and allows you to start digitalizing your catalog.
This way, you will be able to address directly your local customers, by encouraging them to come to your store to buy your showcased product (all this while optimizing your stocks !). It’s more engaging that a global and impersonal brand message.
Once you have tailored your local advertising to your audience, you can work on maximising the chances of your digital campaigns converting:
- Ensure the quality of the broadcasted image by choosing the right resolution and format. The image should be sharp and well lit. It can be very effective to carry out some retouching and processing on raw photos
- Go for a clear, precise visual composed of relevant elements that reinforce your message, such as quality products or proof. Opt for a clear field and avoid cluttering your design with too many additional elements
- Set up the scene for your advertisement by respecting the codes. We will go through this point in the next section. Use local references (Emblematic places, local event or expressions) to strengthen the feeling of attachment and proximity
Then, encourage your audience to take action. Like in every good ad, you must conclude with a call-to-action (CTA).
It needs to be clear, convincing and easy to use. On some platforms, it will be set up in advance, so all you have to do is choose the one that best covers your operation: register, see the menu, book, find out more, and so on. Once again, customize the destination of your call-to-action by redirecting to localized informations (local facebook pages, shop page, etc.).
Combine all these elements and you get highly personalized, geolocalized ads that will have a huge impact on your local audience:
Finally, if you are a retailer, you will want to focus on local drive-to-store campaigns. Thus, in addition of the personalization of your local ads, you can enhance further user engagment and interaction with creative ideas :
You now have all the elements you need to create your local ads. Now let’s look at the different codes you need to respect for your graphic creations.
How to design your visual for your digital ad ?
Today’s consumers are constantly exposed to advertising in their daily life. With so much stimulation, it’s hard to attract their attention and promote your products, and even harder to stand ouf from the crowd.
On average, a person exposed to advertising will have only 3 seconds to understand and memorize your messages. How can you capture your audience and get your message across in such a short space of time? That’s what we’ll be looking at in this section.
The substance: codify your messages
It’s important to start by defining the content of your message and then think about its form. You may be tempted to start with the form, because it’s the most instinctive and also the fun part, but first you need to define the meaning of your ad and the message you want to get across.
This message will generally based itself on the objective of your ad: do you want to attract more customers in your shop? Announce the opening of a new point of sale? Showcase a specific product/promotion?
To build your local ad and your message, you will have to choose:
- Colors corresponding to your brand and your message
- A lexical field destined to your audience
- A striking visual
And of course, make sure that all this resonates locally by personalizing your advertising, as we saw in the first part.
The symbolism of colors
Each color has its own symbolism and meaning. Depending on the colors you choose, you won’t convey the same feelings to your audience. Here are the meanings of the main colors :
No more than 3 main colors should be used per ad to avoid saturating the image and message and to keep things simple. Also, before building your color chart, think about your brand’s personality and the objective of your campaign. Does it want to be engaging, reassuring or elegant?
If your campaign is broadcast in different countries, be aware of the meaning of your colors internationally. For example, white is the color of mourning in China. Eventually, keep in mind that specific sectors have their own codes. For instance, the luxury sector use a lot of black combined with gold.
If you need some inspiration to find your colors, you can ask your graphic designer or use tools like Khroma.
Semantics and language
The second element not to be neglected is the message that you want to convey to your audience through your campaign.
It’s important to establish a lexical field and semantics that will convey your message and represent your brand. You will use words and their different meanings to highlight your commercial arguments and achieve your goal: to bring your audience to the store, showcase a promotion, etc. You can also use a lexical field to transmit something more illustrative, such as a specific mood or emotion.
However, be aware that some terms don’t have the same meaning or some objects don’t have the same name depending on where you are. Different cultures can also be important, so bear this in mind.
The typography used is also crucial in dressing up your message. For a luxury brand, we’ll use a classic and calligraphied font. For a sport ad, we will use a more impactful typeface, sans serif, generally in bold.
At last, your lexical field must be combined with all the other elements of your ad: objects, shapes, colors, etc. The whole must be coherent, and each element must emphasize another.
Let’s look at this campaign for a luxury brand. At first, we don’t see many words: the brand’s name, and the name of the Place Vendôme, in Paris.
However, the few words used are enough: as seen previously, the typography conveys an image of luxury and sobriety, all the more so because of its small size. The words used reinforce the image of luxury, given the reputation of the Place Vendôme and the city of Paris in general.
Finally, the fact that there aren’t many words also works in the message’s favour: once again, it conveys an impression of sobriety and luxury, leaving the consumer’s imagination free to run wild. Therefore, despite the fact that the text is apparently discreet, it brings a lot to the ad and supports the other elements.
There are other ways of using semantics to create an eye-catching advertising message. One way is to exploit the concept of intertextuality, by echoing another text in the text or visual of the campaign through a direct reference, an allusion or a similar narrative structure. Popular expressions, proverbs, etc. will generally be alluded to.
Some brands are specialized in using wordplays, like Oasis that uses it a lot :
In the end, another possible concept is to use current events as a springboard for its campaigns: this is newsjacking, which involves appropriating a news item to attract attention.
Once again, note that these language codes can sometimes differ depending on your target. Certain references will only reach a certain category of audience, or certain terms may have different meanings depending on the demographic and/or their location, as we saw earlier. Remain vigilant and make sure you don’t alienate part of your target audience through a communication error.
Thus, it will be necessary to know your audiences well, and to test new advertising messages using A/B testing for example. This knowledge of demographics, media usage and geolocation can be provided by the DeepReach reporting. You will also need to take into account the cultural particularities, consumer habits and specific needs of your local community, using customer feedback, surveys or the expertise of your sales staff.
This data will help you to use relevant references and language to reinforce the feeling of belonging to the brand and thus achieve your objectives (attracting new customers to the shop, selling a specific product, etc.).
Once you’ve defined the content of your message (text, colour, typography, etc.), all that’s left is to format it. There are a number of rules and best practices to follow, and we’re going to look at them together.
The composition of the visual
A number of elements are essential to any good visual, and they will almost always be the same: your logo and brand, the representation of the product or service you are trying to promote (the packshot) and/or the value proposition of your campaign, and finally your call-to-action. Also recall that your ad must be clear, concise and effective. Your audience must directly understand who you are, why you are communicating this message to them, and what you expect of them.
But placing all these elements randomly on a visual is not enough to make a good campaign. The place you give them is just as important as their presence itself.
To help you find your way around the construction of your ads, remember that there are invisible lines called “lines of force”, which govern the balance of an image. As in a painting or photograph, these lines are used to read and interpret the visual, which can be divided into 2 horizontal lines and 2 vertical lines, each one a third of the way across the image.
At their insections are 4 points known as “hot spots”, at the centre of which will often be the heart of the message. If we take the example of a photograph, you would place your subject in the central rectangle.
This is why you will often find the tagline at the top, the product in the middle and the general sales conditions and logo at the bottom right of the visual.
However, this schema is not set in stone, and there are in fact a large number of lines of force that can be added depending on the shot, the field of view and the interpretation you wish to give to the visual.
Let’s take two poster campaigns as an example:
The first presents a certain verticality. But if we look at the composition and the main subject (Catherine Deneuve), we also see lines of force that suggest a triangular shape. The verticality will inspire a dimension of lightness, reinforced by the actress’s gestures, while the suggested shape introduces dimensions of harmony, balance and elevation.
The second example is based on undulations, a symbol of movement and life. These lines are perfectly suited to the sporting context of the ad.
These two examples are far from exhaustive, because every shape has its own meaning. The circle expresses divinity and perfect form, the square stability, and the rectangle balance and immobility. The way in which you place your different elements using these codes will allow you to accentuate your message and offer an impactful ad that will make a lasting impression on your audience.
Priorize visual elements
The main reading direction of an advertisement runs from the top left of the image to the bottom right. This trajectory has earned it the name ”Z reading”. this is the most traditional and commonly accepted reading direction, which is quite logical given that it is also the one used to read a book or newspaper. The title is therefore placed in the first horizontal third of the image, the packshot in the middle and the call-to-action in the last third of the image.
It is of course possible to question this construction to influence the reading direction towards elements that you wish to emphasize. Many other factors also need to be taken into account: luminosity, the arrangement of objects, and even… the lines of force.
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In this ad featuring Karl Lagerfeld as a stranded driver, the lines of force are lost towards the horizon. This is what caracterizes the in-depth construction, playing on perspective to emphasize the element in the foreground : the yellow jacket worn by the driver. The objective is to create instant surprise, so that the viewer can then read the message in response.
This effect of surprise is reinforced by the used celebrity. Indeed, Karl Lagerfeld is known as one of the greatest fashion designers in history. Putting him in a yellow jacket instantly empowers the message, as you’d never expect to see him wearing this accessory. This just goes to show how important it is to choose the right elements for your local ad, including the subject.
Here is another example of a failry common construction: the focused construction. Here, all the lines of force converge on the central element of the visual, which will often be the packshot.
In this ad, the horizontal lines all start from the new vehicle model to highlight it. A kinetic blur also adds movement and reinforces the impression of speed and power: the vehicle appears stable and fast. This construction is often used in the automotive and technology industries to showcase a new product.
So there are plenty of techniques you can use to highlight your message and make your advertising stand out from the crowd. But tere is another condition, especially when it comes to digital campaigns: the format.
Visual dimensions
On Meta’s social networks (Facebook and Instagram), formats and dimensions are regulated by the platform :
- The simple post can be square (1:1 ratio) or rectangular (from 1:1 to 1.91:1) and consists of a still image or video. Its resolution must be at least 1080x1080 pixels. It is used to establish a clear message and capture the user’s attention as they explore the social network (their “feed”). In advertising format, it is accompanied by a call-to-action that you can personalize
- The carousel allows you to present up to ten images images or videos, accompanied by a call-to-action, in a single campaign. It can be used to tell a story through a sequence of visuals, or to promote a collection of products
- The collection is designed for e-commerce and allows you to highlight an iamge or video associated with a selection of products. It is possible to add a call-to-action to allow users to buy directly
- Finally, stories have a vertical format (9:16) and allow users to immerse themselves in the content by occupying their entire screen. They are ideal for product demonstrations or short videos (15 seconds maximum)
We will find almost the same formats and dimensions on other social networks like LinkedIn and Tiktok:
- On LinkedIn, you will find again the simple post format and the carousel with images or videos. The ratios are the same, from 1:1 to 1.91:1
- On Tiktok, ads are displayed in the feed on a vertical format 9:16 (videos with a duration of 15 seconds maximum). It is also possible to setup ads that display fullscreen at the opening of the app, and then transform into videos in the user’s feed. It’s called Brand Takeover and Top View
If social networks ar regulated in term of format, it is different for display ads. There are about a hundred different format, that will be compatible with host websites thanks to the medias Xandr and DV360. Here are the 5 main formats :
- The rectangle (300x250px): This is the most popular and commercialized format. In addition to offering quality placement on the websites where it is displayed, it offers excellent value for money, being very affordable, as well as having the best rate of views
- Half-page (300x600px): while this format is often one of the most expensive, it is no less popular thanks to the amount of space it occupies on the website. Moreover, it stays in view longer as it follows the scroll of the user
- Leaderboard (728x90px): its privileged position at the top of the page ensures almost instant visibility, which will maximize your chances of conversion. However, because of its short length, it won’t follow the scrool for long.
- The square (250x250px): more discreet than the rectangle, the square format also integrates well into the space of host websites. Furthermore, it is easier to adapt or use for social networks ads
- Interstitials (320x480 or 480x320px): both horizontal and vertical, interstitials are the preferred format for mobile. It is particularly advantageous because it’s highly memorable, occupying the entire screen
Here are the main formats:
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There are many codes and best practices to follow when designing your digital ad. By following these rules, you'll ensure that your visuals are impactful and convey the message of your local ad.
What are the advantage of local ads over generic ads ?
Now that you know how to create an impactful ad and how to customize it to make it local, let's take a look at the different benefits of local ads, and why you should choose to advertise locally rather than nationally.
The challenges of advertising in 2024
Nowadays, advertising industry faces many challenges, particularly in the retail sector.
First of all, customers are no longer as sensitive to generic, nationwide advertising as they once were. Consumers are looking for personalized experiences that meet their needs. They rely more on the opinions of other customers, and turn to local alternatives. There is therefore a strong need for proximity with the end customer to keep them coming back to the store.
Moreover, paper catalogs are gradually disappearing. This makes it more difficult for stores to reach their local audience by traditional means.
Finally, local initiatives at different points of sale lead to brand safety problems, jeopardizing your brand as a whole. Without a centralized solution, it’s hard to coordinate local advertising with many stakeholders.
National advertising doesn't have as much impact as it used to. Those wishing to advertise and promote their products, stores and brands must therefore turn to other methods. The most effective is local and multi-local advertising.
Why choose local advertising over generic advertising
The local and multi-local advertising is the answer to all the problems faced by the advertising sector. The benefits of a local ads over a national campaign are numerous.
Personalizing your campaigns based on your local audience will allow you to reinforce the proximity feeling and to double your performance. Furthermore, you will be able to highlight particular products and/or promotions on well-defined geographic areas.
Local campaigns enable you to effectively replace paper catalogs. As we saw earlier, this is known as catalog digitalization.
Retailers are deploying so-called off-site advertising campaigns to extend the reach of their retail media operations. By combining new advertising channels (SEA, social networks, programmatic display, etc.) with local personnalisation of ads, retailers are going beyond the limits of traditional channels. Local ads on the internet can reach more people and boost performance.
Mickael Delinotte, Senior Media Manager @ KFC France, talks about the performance boost of local ads :
« Local advertising is a real vector and growth driver for our franchisees, overlaying national communications. Not only do these campaigns enable us to target each restaurant on a more granular and personalized basis, but above all they allow us to talk about local initiatives that go beyond the brand’s business calendar, such as partnerships, remodelling or local promotions.
It is vital for KFC France to support our franchisees by providing them with a plug-and-play solution for deploying their communications, but above all to help them measure the effects of these communications using data from sales as well as third-party measurement on drive to store.
The impact is not negligible, since we are seeing an average 10% uplift in sales of the products supproted compared with the national trend. »
As he points out, it is complicated to launch local ads without a dedicated solution or support. There is a risk of getting inconsistent campaigns and tarnishing your brand image. That is why it’s important to deploy a global strategy and standardize all your local ads campaigns.
How to set up local advertising
Now that you know the benefits of local ads, and how to create an impactful ad, all that’s left is to put it into practice. But don’t do it just any old way.
Indeed, letting your different points of sale advertise locally on their own can lead to problems of consistency with your brand identity. In addition, it’s tedious to manage local advertising for all your stores in a central manner without a dedicated solution.
This is where DeepReach can help you. DeepReach is your platform for multi-location ads used by marketing directors, agencies and store managers alike. DeepReach enable you to deploy a centralized local advertising strategy across all your points of sale. Understand where your prospects are and the preferred channels for each geographical area, digitalize your catalog, personalize your local ads, and give autonomy to each store.
DeepReach offers two products tailored to the needs of retailers and companies with several points of sales:
- DeepReach Marketplace: upload your local campaign templates (promotions, special offers, openings, seasonal campaigns, etc.) and make ready-to-use campaigns available to your various points of sale. Set the budget, associated media and creative. Your stores then select the campaigns they want to run. The creative is dynamically personalized with the name of the store, its address, the products to be promoted, etc.
- DeepReach Marketplace is perfect for locally-managed campaigns or groupings. Discover more about DeepReach Marketplace here
- DeepReach Multilocal: deploy multi-local campaigns in a centralized manner. Upload your creative, select your points of sale, the medias you want to broadcast on, fill in your global budget, and let DeepReach handle the rest.
- DeepReach AI, based on the 55 000 campaigns of our platform, automatically create your ideal media mix for each point of sale and the associated budget breakdown. All that’s left is to click to deploy your campaign on all the selected geographical area. Learn more about DeepReach Multilocal here
You now know how to set up local ads with the help of a platform like DeepReach.
Conclusion
You now have all the elements to design the best local ads to showcase your company. Keep in mind that your ads must comply with certain format rules, and that it is recommended to follow best practices to create the most striking visuals. Finally, be sure to include localization elements in your ads to reinforce the feeling of belonging and proximity.
DeepReach can help you set up your local ads and digital campaigns. DeepReach's platform allows you to deploy local and multi-local ads directly and across all medias, personalizing them according to the point of sale. Contact us here to find out more.
