Quarantined. Isolated. Secluded. These are all words that resonate after over a year of living through the COVID-19 pandemic. Business trips turned into virtual conferences, birthday parties converted into zoom meetings, and family vacations were altered to local, socially-distanced outings. The pandemic has not only affected the way we live our day-to-day lives, but has had an unprecedented effect on the future of consumption, advertising, and understanding of consumer buying behaviors. With the rise of e-commerce, digital advertising, and social media usage, businesses were able to react quickly to the immediate shift in the observation and perception of targeted advertisements. While businesses can celebrate overcoming the challenges in reaching their targeted consumers through traditional marketing methods during the pandemic, the next challenge awaits: Are advertisers prepared for the surge of audiences to re-enter the out-of-home advertising market, post-pandemic?
Following a year of uncertainty and anticipation of the “return to normal,” the summer of 2021 is predicted to bring an immense domestic travel surge. As a matter of fact, American Airlines is expecting to fly nearly 90% of its 2019 system capacity just within the summer months of 2021. Not only are airlines experiencing this surge, but road travel has increased significantly within the past few months. With the increased popularity of road trips expected throughout the course of the summer, car rentals, hotels, and convenience stores are preparing for the anticipated traffic from travelers crossing state borders. Along with the suspense surrounding travel, convenience stores have the opportunity to position themselves to reach their largest in-person audiences since before 2020. Likewise, with millions of Americans ready to explore after a year of isolation, advertisers should be prepared for the surge of in-store traffic and listening ears. Brands have the opportunity to reach a diverse market of potential consumers when propensity to spend is highest, making consumers more inclined to react to advertisements about snacks, drinks, and other travel essentials with the inevitable need to make pit stops while on the road.
Convenience store locations must prioritize the customer experience in order to become the top pick of the road trip when dozens of options line the interstate. Utilizing Audio OOH in store locations to provide upbeat music and informative messaging while consumers are browsing snacks and stretching their legs will create greater brand loyalties. This increased traffic presents a great opportunity for advertisers and brands aiming to increase brand awareness along the path to purchase. On-the-go snacks, drinks, forgotten essentials, and the convenience of a one-stop-shop will acquire the most diverse audience that is ready to impulsively purchase on the way to their destination. Both retailers and brands can benefit from Audio Out-of-Home (Audio OOH) in-store media in convenience store retail locations. Audio OOH enables retailers to increase sales while improving the customer experience when propensity to spend is highest. Vibenomics, the pioneer in Audio OOH, provides retailers with the cloud-based technology and industry expertise to enhance the in-store experience, build brand loyalty and drive higher sales. Allowing locations to control the in-store vibe through background music, live announcements, and promotional messaging, Vibenomics powers audio channels for retailers, giving brands the ability to talk to shoppers directly at the point of sale.
Take advantage of the summer travel surge, and get started with Audio OOH. Visit vibenomics.com to see how Audio OOH can benefit your business and enhance the consumer experience!
In an era where convenience is key, trends still show that customers value a great in-store experience. Online retail and expedited shipping have redefined what convenience means to the average consumer and how that experience can translate into brick-and-mortar spaces. “Experience counts. More consumers today are seeking a great, if not exceptional, experience when they shop — and yes, that includes within the convenience channel,” notes CS News on the makings of a great convenience store shopping trip.
Customers understand that businesses have the tools to learn the desires of individuals that walk through their doors and want store owners to use this knowledge to improve every interaction. Technology is advancing quickly and it is expected that innovation is being embraced in order to provide the best experience possible. Research by Aimia, a loyalty analytics company, noted personalized and relevant content has a definitive impact on customer loyalty. The upward growth of both competition and technology put convenience stores in a unique position to create personalized shopping experiences for their customers, especially by tapping into the information that means the most to them, such as community events and loyalty programs. Localizing and customizing the content that customers hear during their brief in-store interactions has the potential to be what makes the experience exceed expectations.
The National Association of Convenience Stores found that the average time it takes a customer to complete their in-store shopping at a convenience store location is between 3 to 4 minutes, including the time spent walking to and from their vehicle. With a short window of opportunity to delight the customer, how can convenience store owners provide their visitors with the best experience to keep them coming back in the face of many equally convenient alternatives? President and CEO of Sheetz convenience stores noted that “figuring out ways to disrupt from within, while keeping an eye on those also seeking to sell convenience” is the key to continuing success. C-Stores must find a way to merge personalized content with innovative technology to reach customers directly at the point of sale.
Audio Experience Software (AES), like Vibenomics, provides the technology platform to create a unique and personalized experience for the customer during the duration of their visit through the power of curated music and messaging. Indiana-based Ricker’s convenience stores utilize the Vibenomics AES platform in their 56 locations to communicate with their customers and promote items such as food or beverage offerings, loyalty programs, and localized sports recaps and weather reports without the addition of visual clutter or low-impact marketing efforts. “[With Vibenomics] we have a great platform to produce commercials and change commercials on the fly and to make sure that we are getting the message across to consumers, we knew we needed to have great audio,” states Keith Broviak, Ricker’s Director of Marketing, “We are able to take that message and create that commercial in the morning and in the afternoon have it in the stores — you can’t do that with any other type of media”.
Interested in learning more about using an Audio Experience Software (AES) platform and how audio can revolutionize the customer experience in your space? Request a demo of Vibenomics today and learn how you can start creating on-brand music and messaging for your customers.