Distributed Marketing Trends to Watch in 2024: Navigating the Local Landscape | Marvia

Distributed organizations, like franchise chains, are constantly adapting their marketing strategies to connect with local audiences while keeping their brand identity intact across various locations.

As 2024 comes closer, a multitude of influential trends are set to revolutionize the landscape of distributed marketing. They present businesses with a plethora of opportunities and obstacles in their quest to establish a profound connection with their customers within a hyperlocal sphere.

Connected TV (CTV) ads: Engaging audiences in their living rooms

With the ongoing shift in viewership from traditional linear TV to streaming services, the potential of CTV advertising has skyrocketed to reach consumers within the comfort of their own homes.

Image source: Roku (advertising.roku.com)

CTV ads serve as a remarkable tool for boosting brand awareness through captivating and immersive video experiences. Distributed organizations can leverage CTV ads to reach a wider audience with targeted messaging, including:

• Tailoring ads to specific local interests and demographics.
• Integrating real-time location data to deliver personalized experiences.
• Integrating local events and promotions into ad campaigns.

Retail Media Networks (RMNs): Hyperlocal engagement

As the retail media landscape continues to evolve, with large retailers investing in their RMNs and enhancing targeting capabilities, distributed organizations, such as QSRs (Quick Service Restaurants), can tap into this powerful channel to reach local audiences and drive sales.

Source: Xenoss (xenoss.io)

A recent study by the Retail Media Association found that 72% of QSRs are planning to increase their investment in RNMs in the next year. ¹ Some of the QSR franchises that are using RNMs to expand their revenue:

• Chick-fil-A partners with Instacart and Walmart Connect to promote menu items and special offers directly to customers already searching for food. ²
• McDonald's partners with Instacart, and Kroger Media Network, allowing them to target specific demographics, interests, and locations for their online food delivery and pickup ads. ³
• Dairy Queen partners with Walmart Connect to display ads for its kids' meals and family-friendly promotions on Walmart Connect's product pages, targeting parents shopping for their families. ⁴

The growing popularity and effectiveness of RMNs in the retail industry will undoubtedly inspire non-retail sectors to follow suit and establish their networks to boost their revenue streams.  

Leveraging social media's nearby feeds: Curating local content

Social media platforms like Instagram are embracing "nearby feeds" that showcase content from accounts and businesses close to the user. These nearby feeds provide distributed organizations with an extraordinary opportunity to connect with local audiences. Businesses can significantly boost their local engagement and visibility by crafting content that resonates with the local culture, events, or current trends.

For example, a franchise located in Miami could curate content that revolves around vibrant beach life or popular local festivals, creating a stronger sense of relevance and appeal for the nearby audience.

Best practices for engaging local audiences

• Content localization: Tailor your content for each location to reflect local interests, languages, and cultural nuances.
• Geo-tagging: Make use of geo-tagging features to increase the visibility of your posts in local feeds.
• Community engagement: Actively engage with local users by responding to comments, participating in local challenges, and collaborating with local influencers.

Embracing TikTok search ads

With TikTok's continued rise in popularity, the introduction of search ads opens up exciting possibilities in 2024. This innovative feature enables businesses to showcase their ads directly in TikTok search results, allowing them to connect with the platform's large, enthusiastic, and youthful user base.

For example, a fitness franchise could run a TikTok Search Ad targeting keywords such as "fitness near me," "gyms near me," or "workout classes near me." The ad features a short video of a group of people working out at one of the franchise's gyms, along with the tagline "Get fit and have fun at our gyms near you!"

Local SEO Updates from Google: Enhancing local search visibility

Google's algorithm continues to evolve, with a growing emphasis on local search results. In 2024, businesses should be prepared for further refinements to Google's proximity ranking signals, which favor businesses that are physically closer to searchers' locations.

To optimize local search visibility, distributed organizations should focus on:

• Ensuring accurate and consistent listings across all relevant directories and map services.
• Gathering and managing positive reviews from customers.
• Enhancing local SEO content, including business descriptions, images, and keywords.

→ Google Local Ad Campaigns: boost sales in your physical location

AI-Powered marketing automation: Streamlining localized campaigns

No trend article would be complete without discussing the impact of AI. Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the marketing industry. By analyzing large volumes of data, AI tools can uncover valuable insights, predict customer behavior, and automate repetitive tasks, providing invaluable support to marketing teams managing multiple locations.

The pace of technological advancements in 2024 remains uncertain, but distributed organizations can undoubtedly embrace the potential they bring:

• Personalization at scale: AI algorithms can tailor marketing messages and offers to individual customers based on their past behavior and preferences.
• Predictive analytics: AI can forecast trends and customer needs, allowing businesses to stay ahead of the curve.
• Content automation: AI-driven content creation tools can generate high-quality, SEO-optimized content for different locales.

As 2024 approaches, the field of distributed marketing evolves with new trends and technologies. From CTV and retail media networks to social media feeds and AI automation, these developments offer opportunities for organizations to connect with local audiences in personalized ways. Distributed organizations, such as franchises and multi-location businesses, must embrace these trends, experiment with new social media features, and refine local SEO and AI strategies to navigate modern marketing successfully. This ensures their message resonates with local communities while maintaining a cohesive brand identity.

Want to future-proof your distributed marketing strategies? Schedule a demo to learn about Marvia's solutions and how they align with 2024 trends for optimal results.

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Sources consulted:

1. Retail Media Association (RMLA). (2023, October 4). "Retail Media Association's Quarterly QSR Market Report."
2. "Chick-fil-A Expands Retail Media Presence with Partnerships on Instacart and Walmart Connect," by CMO.com, October 4, 2023
3. "Dairy Queen Reaches Families with Kids through RNM Campaigns," by QSR Insights, October 4, 2023
"McDonald's Ramps Up Retail Media Investments," by Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), October 4, 2023
4. "McDonald's Drives Sales with Delivery and Pickup Ads on Instacart and Walmart Connect," by Restaurant Business Online, October 4, 2023