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Two in Five Shoppers Purchase At Real-World Marketing Events

Live marketing events are pulling their weight on a retailer’s balance sheet, according to new data from the Out of Home Advertising Association of America.

Consumers notice and attend live marketing events, and many make a purchase afterward, according to the survey of 2,015 U.S. adults in August conducted with The Harris Poll.

The study found:

  • 59% of consumers recall seeing a live marketing event or promotional experience.
  • Of consumers who recall seeing a marketing event within the past two months, more than 60% of consumers said they attended or interacted with it.
  • Of those consumers who interacted with a live event in the last two months, 40% said they made a purchase while there.

Making a purchase was the top activity consumers cited doing at the promotional event. Other activities at the activation included:

  • Sampled the product – 38%
  • Visited the website – 37%
  • Became more likely to consider the product or retailer in the future – 34%
  • Talked about the experience with friends or family – 33%
  • Posted on social media – 33%
  • Learned about a product or retailer they weren’t familiar with – 30%
  • Looked up the product or retailer later – 29%
  • Scanned or used a promo code – 18%

One in four consumers purchasing at the activation and more conversion later prove that these marketing events are effective, said Steve Nicklin, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Analytics at the Out of Home Advertising Association of America, in an email.

“This research points to the value that in-person brand interactions bring in, driving consumer curiosity and engagement, as well as the longer-term impact of boosting awareness and consideration,” Nicklin said.

Consumers Say Giveaways Are Motivating But Many Enjoy Product Discovery

Giveaways are a top way retailers can entice shoppers to attend live events, with 51% of consumers saying they would attend a marketing event for a free sample or product trial and 45% saying they would for free merchandise or swag.

Overall, 89% of consumers are open to attending a promotional event. Other motivating tactics consumers cited include:

Source: Out of Home Advertising Association of America
Source: Out of Home Advertising Association of America

Interestingly, for the consumers who attended a marketing event in the past two months, receiving free products wasn’t the top motivator. Instead, 25% of consumers said the main reason they attended an event was to discover new products, 19% said to experience the product in person and 19% said to spend time with family and friends. Fourth on the list, at 17%, was to receive free products and discounts. Another 13% said they attended a live marketing event to be entertained, and 8% said it was to create content and photos.

The survey also found that consumers recalled the product or merchant after the live event. Consumers said that after their last memorable retailer marketing event the impact that it made was:

  • Searched for more information later – 30%
  • Looked for the product in stores later – 30%
  • Viewed the product or retailer more positively – 30%
  • Remembered the product or retailer longer – 28%
  • Recommended it to someone else – 27%
  • Purchased it later – 27%

Shoppers Notice Out-of-Home Ads

Beyond live events, out-of-home ads are another tactic marketers use to advertise to shoppers within their daily routines.

The survey found that many consumers notice out-of-home ads, especially when they are on the way to a store. What’s more, 67% of consumers said they are somewhat or very likely to pay attention to retail ads on billboards, posters or wall murals. Plus, 60% said they pay attention to ads that are on the street-level outside, such as in bus shelters, benches and kiosks.

If consumers see an out-of-home ad that interested them, they said they would:

  • Visit the retailer’s website/app – 45%
  • Search the retailer online – 42%
  • Go to the retailer’s store in person – 33%
  • Save the ad/offer for later – 28%

Out of Home is an effective channel, Nicklin said, because it amplifies other ad channels and cannot be turned off or skipped.

The survey also found:

  • 50% of consumers would enter a discount code shown on an in-store ad, followed by scanning a QR code (41%) and texting to claim the offer (38%).
  • 77% of consumers recall recently seeing retail out-of-home ads, rising to 81% for Gen Z shoppers and rising to 84% for men who are residents of urban areas of more than 1 million people.
  • 69% of consumers say out-of-home ads feel more human than online ads.
  • 64% of consumers say out-of-home ads are more culturally relevant.