As services and daily encounters have increasingly moved online, consumer encounters have become more challenging, but at the same time face-to-face encounters have become more important.

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Face-to-face encounters are perceived as the third most effective way to reach new customers.¹ Face-to-face interaction is more personal, trustworthy and human-centred compared to, for example, conversations with a conversations with a customer service agent or a chatbot. Comparing costs alone, virtual communication may be cheaper, but the personal approach to the customer adds a lot of value and efficiency to sales and demonstration events.

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Bring your brand closer to the customer

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A face-to-face approach to your brand is easier because you can have a conversation with a company representative and ask questions if necessary. It is also easier for the customer to get answers through a conversation than searching for them on a website, which contributes to a more customer-oriented approach.

Some customers may also find it too cumbersome to find information online, and may choose another product with which they are more familiar. Face-to-face interaction is therefore particularly important to attract new customers to the brand and to encourage trial.

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The only limit is your imagination

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In addition to customer orientation, face-to-face sales situations also have other advantages. For example, promotional points in shopping centres can be used to organise product launches and giveaways, events or pop-up stands. While conventional solutions are effective, promotions do not have to follow a traditional formula - the only limit is your imagination!

So if you want, you can design a personalised, imaginative implementation: even small concerts have been organised. With promotions, you are sure to attract the attention of consumers, whether it's the crowds on the stands or the spectacular stage sets. Research also shows that promotions are an effective way to generate thought and^{experimentation2}

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Visibility throughout the purchase path

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Promotions are a spectacular marketing tool in their own right, but you can achieve particularly effective results by ensuring your brand is visible at every stage of the consumer's purchase journey. In addition to high reach, outdoor advertising ensures excellent repetition of your campaign, which is important for the transmission of your promotional message. Research also shows that outdoor advertising is an effective way to reach consumers while they are on the move.

According to our Shopping ^Path Survey3 , 88% of Finns have paid attention to outdoor advertising during a shopping trip and seven out of ten say they are interested in an advertised product or service because of an advertisement they saw while travelling. Outdoor advertising also encourages people to buy, with up to 68% of Finns saying they have visited a shopping destination because of an advertisement they encountered while travelling.

By ensuring visibility along motorways and footpaths, you can raise awareness of your business from the very first step of the buying journey. Inside the shopping centre, you'll convince consumers who are in the consideration stage, who should be inspired and interested in your brand. Shopping malls are a good advertising environment because people are open-minded: 42% of Finns say they have bought a product they saw on a shopping mall display^.3

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^SOURCES:

^{1: DMA; ICM Research Customer Acquisition Barometer 2015 Report, page 15
2: CCS/Carat 2016
3: Shopping Path Survey (2018)}

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