A day in the life of a QSR marketer is a bit different from that of a marketer in other retail sectors, such as auto or apparel — due to a specific reason. For consumers, choosing a quick-service restaurant is more likely to be based on impulse and circumstance than for other types of retail purchases, due to the costs of fast food being much lower. This makes a QSR marketer’s job more difficult because the stakes of each brand interaction are lower, but the benefits of loyalty and repeat business are crucial.
Location data has become a key element for QSR brands, both in planning and buying strategies, giving marketers the tools and insights they need to properly take advantage of the consumer journey. According to 451 Research, location data ranks near the top in importance for QSR marketers because of the complex challenges it solves. 97% of QSR marketers surveyed said they will increase their usage of location data over the next two years. And they aren’t just looking to increase usage to solve the same old problems; they are looking to enhance the way they plan, buy, and measure their advertising dollars.
57% of QSR marketers plan on using location data to improve attribution and to better understand consumer behavior, suggesting that marketers are significantly investing in location data applications beyond more traditional use cases like geo-fenced triggered promotions. With increased usage and confidence in location data, QSR marketers are gaining new insights into the consumer journey, which support and help guide their media planning and buying decisions.
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QSR Marketers Are Becoming Proficient With Location Data
451 Research asked QSR marketers to rate their companies’ maturity levels in using location data for various purposes, from geo-fencing to attribution. The five maturity levels ranged from the early stages of planning (level 1) to more advanced or best-in-class programs (level 5), which are well-organized and integrate location data into day-to-day planning.
Most QSR marketers rated their companies somewhat in the middle stages (levels 3 to 4), indicating that they have formal programs with managed processes but are reluctant to describe what they do as best-in-class … yet! However, it’s clear that the majority of QSR marketers are way past the initial stages of planning, with 76% of marketers rating their companies at level 3 or above!
The big takeaway here is that QSR marketers are moving fast and aren’t just using location data to solve simple problems, but rather they are using it for advanced uses cases like attribution and analytics.
QSR Marketers Want More Location Data
It makes sense that 97% of marketers are planning to increase their usage of location data — as marketers tackle more advanced use cases, it’s easier to see the value of location data. One of those values that is crucial for every marketer is “incrementality,” a game-changing metric that helps brands understand if their advertising is actually changing consumer behavior (for example, driving new consumers or increased visits to store).
Incrementality is even more important for QSR marketers because it provides a true look at campaign performance, offering insights beyond campaign uplift around incremental visits. With incrementality, QSR marketers can now understand which of their media tactics is influencing new visits or driving additional visits from already loyal consumers. Incrementality gives marketers the tools they need to get the most out of their ad dollars.
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