Consumer packaged goods brands now spend more of their digital ad dollars on desktop than they do on mobile, but the trend is changing. For grocery stores, that means understanding shoppers have one hand on the cart and another on a smartphone.
According to a new eMarketer report, “Brands Go Mobile in the Grocery Aisle: Closing the Loop Between Awareness and Purchase,” grocery brands are “especially interested in testing mobile efforts as a way to connect with the consumer closer to the point of purchase.”
Mobile is the medium, a technology that allows brands an opportunity to pitch consumers while they peruse the aisles.
What do consumers want to see?
Recent research by mobile technology company Ninth Decimal (formerly JiWire) found that in-store, grocery shoppers were most receptive to messages that offered discounts: 28 percent said that receiving a coupon was the biggest influencer of purchases, while 20 percent said notification of an item on sale would prompt a purchase. Advertising—without any sort of offer—influenced just 15 percent of shoppers.
The surge in digital will come soon. Marketing firm Catalina found that 62 percent of mobile shoppers were extremely or very likely to use digital coupons in the future.
One interesting finding is the growth in “augmented reality” — the technology to render logos, packaging, and other visuals accessible. Shoppers see it as a helpful tool.
What don’t customers like? Anything that slows down the shopping trip.
“Some mobile tools, however, are considered obstacles,” says eMarketer. “A majority of respondents in Catalina’s survey said mobile apps that slowed down the shopping trip—even if the end result would deliver a discount—were not helpful.”
The bottom line: shoppers want value and relevant offers, “not just a discount on some random product.” And that saving time is nearly as critical as saving money.
