The Importance of Time and Place in OGP Marketing

If there’s one place Walmart is winning in ecommerce, it’s with online grocery pickup (OGP). This simple service has revolutionized the way Walmart shoppers can transact with convenience, while remaining loyal to the channel. It may even be the key to the omnichannel transformation of your product.

But you can’t get there without an intimate grasp of the journey your customer is taking to get to OGP. Understanding how shoppers build their lists and shop for groceries online is key if shopper marketers want to capitalize on the explosive growth of OGP.

We’ve learned a lot over the last year from our various OGP campaigns, so let’s take a look at a few powerful takeaways that stand out…

#1 – OGP location data is key, but layers of data drive optimal targeting

Precise targeting is key. You don’t want to target all Walmart shoppers because obviously only a small percentage are even using the OGP service. The marketing performance of campaigns driven by OGP-lane geofences is significantly higher than if you were to target a geofence around an entire Walmart. After all, less than 20% of WM shoppers are using OGP on a regular basis.

While targeting location data (previous OGP visitors) may be the core of your OGP targeting, you will want to incorporate additional layers to refine your precision & grow ROI:

  • Real-time audiences – shoppers who are currently in OGP lane & zones. These real-time encounters allow us to define who OGP shoppers are.
  • Post-OGP retargeting audiences – People who have visited OGP lanes in the last 30 or 60 days. Grouping OPG shoppers who’ve shopped in the last 30 or 60 days allows for scale to be achieved quickly.  You can also define OGP frequency to capture your OGP “power users.” This also allows for OGP shoppers to be targeted in-between OGP trips, which is crucial!  (More about timing below)

Behavioral Data – This layer of data allows targeting by lifestyle or brand preference. You can even target people who regularly use convenient services like meal delivery, grocery delivery and more.  It’s also great for conquesting competitive brands. This is a fantastic way to refine either real-time or retargeting OGP campaigns.

So what? Location data is your core when it comes to OGP, but you need a strategy that addresses the complete picture…

#2 Timing is everything
OGP shoppers don’t instantly add to cart anytime they see an appealing ad.  In other words, targeting the correct shopper with the correct product isn’t enough.  Shopper marketers must also reach OGP shoppers while they’re preparing their lists to drive consideration and add to carts.

Weekly Stock up Trips

Another big takeaway from our OGP shopper campaigns is getting a feel for the timing and device usage when it’s time to shop OGP.

So what? There’s a surge of OGP activity Saturday – Monday afternoons.  Most likely, these are shoppers stocking up for the week.  Their cart size will be larger than more frequent shoppers!  Maximize your share of OGP wallet while these shoppers are active!

#3 Mobile alone is not enough, so go cross-device or go home

 

During the OGP weekend surge, cross device activity is up over 60%!  OGP shoppers are using laptops & tablets, in addition to mobile devices, as they’re compiling their lists and adding to cart.  Not all OGP customers even use the OGP app as their go-to.

 

So what? Mobile-only shopping campaigns and campaigns built around OGP app usage will miss a significant opportunity during these OGP stock up sessions.  Leveraging mobile location data to advertise doesn’t mean you’re restricted to mobile ads. With our BrandLift™ platform, you can actually get the best of both worlds – leveraging mobile to validate you’re reaching real OGP shoppers, but using our cross-device technology to deliver timely ads to all the devices that shopper owns.

Well there you have it, three thoughts that will help sharpen you OGP marketing tactics.  If you’d like to learn more, reach out to us – we love talking OGP!

Contact us to learn more about our Brandlift™ online & in-store shopper audiences