Combining online contact and store visits
A typical scenario in retail: Consumers discover an advertised hot air fryer in a brochure and later find out more online. They go to the retailer's website, check details, compare variants and take a closer look at the product. The impulse to buy is there, but is initially postponed.
This is exactly where retargeting comes in. Interested users are targeted again based on the interactions shown. Dynamic advertising material picks up on the specific product interest, plays out relevant arguments such as promotional prices, availability or time scarcity and creates targeted buying impulses. Targeting is selective and follows the decision-making process - the focus is on activation rather than reach.
In this way, retargeting continues existing interest, reminds consumers of the offer they have seen and accompanies them through to the purchase decision. In this way, retargeting not only boosts online conversions, but also has a direct impact on store visits and sales at the POS.
Relevance through data and segmentation
Effective retargeting is based on relevance along the customer journey. This is based on first-party data and specific usage signals such as product pages visited, categories viewed or shopping baskets cancelled. They show what consumers are interested in and how close they are to making a purchase decision.
Successful retargeting campaigns segment users according to purchase phase and play out personalised content tailored to this. An appropriate contact frequency, the right timing and a consistent approach across different channels are crucial.
If this accuracy of fit is lacking, retargeting loses its effectiveness. Repeated, identical advertising material, a lack of personalisation or a renewed approach after a purchase has already been made lead to advertising fatigue, as there is a lack of relevance and added value for consumers.
Monitoring success via frequency and sales
For retailers, what counts in the end is the contribution to frequency in the market and to sales. In addition to classic media KPIs such as interaction rates or view-through performance, store visit analyses and sales data are therefore coming to the fore. This makes it possible to recognise the extent to which retargeting triggers additional visits to the stores and what uplift campaigns achieve in certain regions, shops or product ranges.
A future-proof approach in a data protection environment
With the elimination of third-party cookies and stricter data protection regulations, retargeting is changing fundamentally. In future, the focus will be on approaches in which consumers expressly consent to the use of data and are targeted via data protection-compliant labelling, but without third-party cookies. Instead of relying on a largely untargeted approach on the open web, systems such as retail media, publisher alliances and data clean rooms are gaining in importance. There, brands and retailers can address target groups precisely, in compliance with data protection regulations and with a high level of relevance, and use retargeting as a link between digital contact and the purchase decision.