The Importance of Local Marketing

Companies with multiple locations, whether small, medium or large, typically struggle with the idea and execution of local marketing. Not local marketing in the retail sense of relying on Yelp and social media, but in the B2B arena of tailored messaging. It doesn’t matter if you’re a regional, national or global brand; it’s important to adapt messaging and marketing tactics geographically. Don’t misunderstand, consistency is key and companies definitely need brand standards. But many are missing out on increased sales and revenue because they leave local marketing out of the overall plan. Here are some key reasons different strategies and tactics should be employed on a local level:

1.  Brand Awareness is different across state and national borders. Your company may be top of mind in Houston and Baton Rouge, but relatively unknown in Pittsburgh and Denver, even though you have offices in all of them. A larger budget and more marketing tactics are needed in cities with low brand awareness.
2.  Company Perception – Even if brand awareness is high, it doesn’t mean they like you. Fracking is fairly accepted in Texas, but not so much in California. Different tactics and different messages are needed depending on company/product perception in different areas.
3.  Products & Services differ. This is a no brainer. The top selling product in Texas may not even be carried in Canada. Marketing strategy and messaging have to shift based on the top sellers in each market.
4.  Target Audiences – People are different from one city to the next and certainly across countries. It doesn’t matter how global and successful a brand is, it must resonate with the local community. Cultural practices, history, attitudes, values… all are very important for proper communication. You can’t go anywhere in Houston without driving a car. If you live in New York City, you don’t want a car! The U.S. is all about business and progress, but transactions take longer in South America based on policies and respect for the land and culture. Target audience factors (demographics & psychographics) take the most research and create the most variables for marketing strategy, tactics and message.

Keep all of the above factors in mind for a multi-tiered marketing strategy. Local marketing makes sense for companies with multiple products and offices, but it should never trump or stray too far from the overall brand strategy. Call us for more information and help with local marketing tactics.