From Foot Traffic to TV Screens: Target Store Visitors on CTV

Local advertising is great, but broad geotargeting only gets you so far.

You can zero in on viewers by ZIP code. Maybe even narrow things down to a DMA. But even with this precision, you’ll still be casting a wide net. Why? geography alone doesn’t equate to relevance. 

This is where location-based retargeting comes in. Instead of targeting everyone within a geographic boundary, it enables advertisers to reach people based on the specific places they visit.

Imagine driving through a Starbucks on your way home from work, and then seeing an ad during the evening news about a new local coffee shop that’s on your same route. This is the power of location-based retargeting — connecting physical activity with media placements in a way that traditional geotargeting simply can’t match.

What Is Location-Based Retargeting?

Location-based retargeting is a digital advertising strategy that delivers ads to viewers based on their real-world visitation patterns. This involves collecting location data to find users who’ve visited a specific brick-and-mortar store or point of interest.

This changes the message from “Are you local? Check out our furniture store” to “Are you local and actively shopping for home goods? Head to our store today.”

At Strategus, we use this tactic to reach likely buyers on the big screen through programmatic connected TV, turning physical behavior into a targeting signal.

How Does Location-Based Retargeting Work?

Location-based retargeting uses mobile device IDs to identify potential buyers based on the places they visit when they’re out and about. Here’s a look at the three-step process from Strategus.

1. Identify target locations. We begin by pinpointing specific physical locations that matter to your business. This could be your own brick-and-mortar stores to retarget existing customers, or competitor locations for conquesting campaigns. We’ll work with you to choose individual storefronts or entire business categories (like mattress stores, furniture retailers, or car dealerships) that align with your target audience's interests and the campaign’s goals. 
   
   
2. Capture audience device IDs. As people visit these locations, their mobile device IDs are anonymously collected through privacy-compliant location-tracking technology. We use these IDs to create a pool of verified visitors who’s physical presence demonstrates real-world interest in your products or services. The data is then processed with strict privacy controls in place to ensure personal information remains protected.
   
   
3. Serve CTV Ads to Relevant Households: Once we’ve built the audience, we start delivering ads to these consumers on their connected TVs. This creates a powerful cross-device experience that bridges the gap between physical shopping behavior and the engaging, high-impact medium of television. From there, we can also retarget these users across other channels — include streaming audio, online video, display, and digital out of home (DOOH).
   
   

Location-Based Retargeting Tactics

There are a handful of way that this tactic can be used (which we get into in the next section), but we often group it into one of two approaches.

1. Retargeting Your Own Brick-and-Mortar Visitors

People who’ve visited your stores have already shown interest, but might need another nudge to complete a transaction. Location-based retargeting allows you to develop an ongoing relationship with these visitors by reconnecting with them on their living room TVs. This can be used to expand your first-party audience pool, promote new items, or highlight upcoming sales. It's a particularly effective approach for businesses with longer sales cycles or repeat purchase patterns, keeping your brand top-of-mind during the decision process.

2. Competitor Conquesting

Reach consumers who've recently visited your competitors' locations with messaging that positions your offering as a better alternative. This tactic makes it possible to intercept high-intent buyers at a crucial point — when they're actively comparing options in your category. Whether you're highlighting better pricing, unique features, or a more convenient location, conquesting helps you get in front of in-market prospects who may not have your brand on their radar.

Benefits of Location-Based Retargeting

Both of the approaches above create more relevant viewer experiences than traditional targeting. And there are a few different ways that advertisers can use this to their advantage. 

• Expand your first-party data. Enrich your existing audience data by incorporating verified visitors to your physical locations. This combines the power of your first-party data with real-world behaviors, creating a more comprehensive view of your customers and expanding your retargeting pool.
  
  
• Find local buyers in your category. Reach visitors of specific business categories that align with your offering. Whether targeting mattress store shoppers, restaurant goers, casino visitors, or pet store customers, you can connect with audiences who are clearly interested in your industry based on their real-world actions.
  
  
• Identify on-the-go shoppers. Unlike basic geographic targeting that only considers where people live, location-based retargeting identifies consumers who are on the move and visiting specific places. This active behavior signals higher intent than a certain zip code or neighborhood, identifying people more likely to stop by your physical store front.
  
  
• Tailored messaging. The more you know about viewers, the more personalized you can make your ad creative. With location-based retargeting, you can speak directly to people who live or work in the area, acknowledging their specific needs and convenience factors.
  
  
• Customer journey personalization. Tailor your approach based on where customers are in their relationship with your brand. What does this look like? Craft distinct messaging strategies for new prospects, lapsed customers who haven't visited recently, or loyal patrons who frequent your locations — ensuring relevance at every stage.
  
  

Customer Success Stories

Curious what this looks like in action? Here are a few real-world examples of how Strategus has worked with brands to craft high-performing campaigns with location-based retargeting. 

National Retailer Generates $3.4M Revenue with Location-Driven CTV Campaign

A leading nutritional supplement retailer aimed to re-engage past customers and attract new ones by targeting consumers near their 647 store locations. Utilizing a layered strategy that included location-based retargeting of competitor store visitors and a full-funnel approach across multiple channels, the three-month campaign generated an estimated $3.4 million in online and in-store revenue and drove nearly 39,000 in-person visits.

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Ski Resort Achieves 15x RoAS and $685k Revenue with Targeted CTV Campaign

A Northeastern ski resort wanted to attract new skiers and snowboarders in the Boston area. Strategus implemented a multi-channel approach targeting individuals who were interested in skiing and snowboarding and conquesting visitors from competitor resorts. The campaign generated a 15x return on ad spend, resulting in $685,700 in revenue and a significant increase in website traffic and foot traffic to the mountain.

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Law Firm Achieves 3x Lower Cost Per Case with Strategic Location Targeting

An injury law firm used location-based targeting to identify individuals who visited union halls, collision centers, and workers' compensation urgent care facilities. The result? A cost-per-case attributed that was three times lower than their initial goal.

Read Case Study →

Target Smarter With Strategus

Don't settle for a spray-and-pray approach to local TV advertising. With Strategus, you get a smarter, more precise way to connect with customers based on their real-world behavior. 

Even better, we provide a hands-on, managed service to guide you through every step of CTV campaign planning and execution. Our robust attribution capabilities ensure you can clearly measure the impact of your investment, and our real-time dashboard offers transparent insights into your campaign's performance. 

Ready to talk shop? Reach out today to find out what your targeting strategy could look like.