What digital and local targeting strategies work best for driving grocery store awareness and sales?

Members recommend prioritising partnership marketing with the grocer itself before investing heavily in external digital campaigns. The strategic approach depends on your objective: if you're demonstrating activity to a buyer, targeted campaigns in specific locations can work; if you're driving sales, in-store activation followed by external support is more effective.

**Strategic approaches:** - **In-store partnership marketing first** — maximise all co-marketing options directly with the grocer (e.g. end-caps, till points, loyalty schemes) before branching into external digital spend - **Targeted local digital campaigns** — members have run successful campaigns in specific areas (e.g. Welwyn Garden City for a major gin brand), but these work best when paired with in-store activity - **High-performing store focus** — concentrate external support on your best-performing locations to amplify existing momentum rather than spreading spend thinly - **Buyer-facing campaigns** — if the goal is to show the buyer you're investing in the brand, specific geographic targeting (even something like a billboard in a smaller market) demonstrates commitment and can support shelf negotiations

**Caveats:** External digital targeting alone is "more hit and miss" in terms of driving actual store visits and conversions. Members suggest that external campaigns work best as a complement to in-store visibility rather than a replacement. Conversion data from media vendors should be treated with caution and verified against actual till performance.