Why is local marketing important for national brands?
Increasingly, businesses need to meet customers where they already are. This is especially true for national brands looking to build lasting connections with customers in specific locations—achieved through a strategy called local marketing.
Explore what local marketing is and why it’s so important for national brands—from the rise of mobile searches with local intent to the importance of local reviews and the need for connection and convenience. By investing in local customers’ unique needs and interests, your national brand can build stronger relationships and generate sustainable, long-term growth.
What is local marketing?
Local marketing, or “neighborhood marketing,” is a strategy that targets potential customers in local markets where your products are available or you have physical locations. It’s a marketing approach that focuses on creating a strong brand presence in a specific geographic area with messaging tailored to the people who live there.
Why is local marketing important for national brands?
Local marketing is important for national brands because people are increasingly searching with local intent, paying attention to local reviews, and, more than that, they crave connection and convenience from the brands they buy from. By taking the time to understand what matters most to consumers in a particular region, big brands can create targeted campaigns that resonate with local audiences and generate real engagement. Dive deeper into three reasons why local marketing is crucial for big brands:
People are searching with local intent
82% of mobile phone users surveyed—and 92% of millennials—reported doing a “near me” search on their devices. Not only are many people seeking local information online, but they’re also searching with high intent. According to HubSpot, 72% of consumers who did a local search visited a store within five miles.
People who search locally are also usually closer to exercising their purchasing power. Fifty-seven percent of users contact a business they found on Yelp within a day, according to a 2022 Yelp survey. That’s why it’s important for your local marketing strategy to target specific locations and surface your brand where your customers already are.
Consumers pay attention to local reviews
When people search locally, they want to know what type of experience to expect at specific locations, such as customer service or specific amenities. A brand’s name and reputation serve as a starting point, but local reviews play a crucial role in deciding whether or not to visit a specific location. For example, when people crave a simple burger, many think of McDonald’s. However, if they also need to be able to send an email on the fly, they may turn to reviews to determine if a nearby McDonald’s has a comfortable dining area or conveniences like Wi-Fi. If someone needs a pit stop during a road trip, they may look at reviews to find which gas station reportedly has a clean restroom.
Reviews at the local level can have a big impact on your brand’s national reputation. Suppose a restaurant chain has multiple locations across the country, but one of the locations receives consistently critical reviews. Potential customers may stumble across these critical reviews and be discouraged from visiting any of the restaurant’s locations, even if other locations have glowing reviews.
Seventy-six percent of consumers “regularly” read online reviews when browsing for local businesses, and 95% of people said they had written an online review for a local business in the past 12 months or would consider leaving one (BrightLocal Consumer Review Survey 2023). People who live in the same neighborhood as a business are usually more motivated to leave reviews because they have a personal connection to the area and feel a sense of community. They want to help their friends and neighbors make informed decisions.
Consumers crave connection and convenience
People respond to people. No matter how recognizable and beloved your brand may be, at the end of the day, we’re all humans who value connection—and that feeling of connection is what keeps customers coming back. That and a healthy dose of convenience—something consumers want more of in their busy lives.
Research shows that 87% of consumers won’t travel more than 15 minutes to make routine purchases. Customers want to know what’s going on with businesses in their own neighborhood—not in another zip code. While it’s important to maintain consistency across your national brand, using relatable local marketing tactics can increase your brand’s reach and inspire deeper loyalty than a catch-all national campaign.
Lululemon has cultivated a strong sense of brand community by offering local exercise and wellness classes—such as yoga, meditation, and barre—both in person and online.
Lululemon’s in-person offerings range from yoga and fitness classes to running clubs led by local coaches—held in branded Lululemon and partner spaces. These in-person events build a strong local community centered around shared interests, values, and experiences. It’s also a powerful way to create moments for user-generated content that can be reshared and repurposed. For example, Lululemon encourages its customers to share their experiences and progress on social media using branded hashtags.
Even the online aspect of Lululemon’s offerings has created a community for people through the comfort of their own homes via a smart fitness mirror. The Mirror is a literal full-length mirror that doubles as a home fitness system, displaying live, virtual classes and on-demand options. Participants can see and interact with each other in real time in their living rooms, creating a sense of community and support where members can share their fitness goals, progress, and tips with each other.
It’s natural for people to seek community. By integrating a sense of community into its marketing and product strategy and offering consumers convenient options for what they’re already looking for, Lululemon can nurture a more connected and engaged community of fitness enthusiasts—a community that is more likely to turn to Lululemon’s brand when they need fitness attire.
The power of local marketing
While national marketing campaigns help build brand recognition, local campaigns can reach your target audience precisely when and where they’re looking for products or services your brand offers.
With local marketing, you’re more likely to reach the right audience at the right time, which is more cost-effective. Prioritizing local marketing can help you meet the unique needs of customers in varying regions, ultimately attracting customers who are highly likely to make a purchase. Customers crave a sense of connection with the businesses they buy from, but it can be difficult for national brands to build strong relationships with consumers. That’s why, when it comes to attracting and converting potential customers, local marketing remains one of the best strategies for creating a strong sense of loyalty, connection, and relevance.
For more local marketing strategies and tactics for national brands, download our free guide.