Maximize Customer Acquisition with Multi-Media Dispenser Technology from DFS

Published on May 03, 2023

In a cutthroat competitive retail landscape, store owners must constantly keep up with evolving consumer expectations - finding innovative ways to connect with and acquire new customers. For decades, grocery chains used a simple method of leveraging essentials such as milk and diapers as traffic generators to get customers into stores. In Category Management terms, this would be part of a traffic building strategy aimed at pulling in shoppers while promoting add-on products to build their baskets and increase store profits.

C-stores have a unique advantage compared with other retail formats. In an end-customer survey conducted by Dover Fueling Solutions® (DFS), nearly 70% of c-store shoppers identified as high-frequency loyal fueling customers who return more than once a week to refuel their vehicles. These customers are the foundation of a successful traffic building strategy; however – to use the grocery store scenario – they’re buying the milk and not much else. On average, just 30-40% of fuel customers make the short walk into the c-store (NACS Consumer Behavior at the Pump, March 2019), and fuel traffic without other profit-generating transactions does not make for sustainable business.

How can c-stores leverage the seemingly ordinary interaction of refueling to deliver on a compelling customer acquisition strategy? Innovative technology at the heart of our Anthem UX® platform, with its industry leading 27” digital display, and the new AX12™ Enhanced which offers a stunning 12” display. No matter the dispenser you choose, this platform powered by DX Promote® can transform your fuel dispensers into powerful digital advertising vehicles to attract and convert new customers through targeted promotions and highlighted fuel and service offerings. It’s like a grocery store having a digital billboard in the milk aisle.

Leverage Marketing Rule of 7

Have you ever watched a TV show and seen the same commercial repeatedly? That deep-pocketed brand knows the marketing rule of 7, and you are their target audience.

The marketing rule of 7 was developed in the 1930s and has been a foundational concept in marketing since. The rule states that a potential customer must be exposed to a brand at least seven times before being motivated to make a purchase. It operates on the principle that repeated exposure helps boost recognition and recall, eventually opening the door to purchase, trust and loyalty. While the number seven shouldn’t be treated as absolute, the core idea is the more interactions a customer has with your brand, the more likely they are to make a purchase or use a service. Big brands spend millions each year trying to achieve this rule with potential customers.

In the case of c-store fuel sales and their high-frequency fuel customers, running an ad at the dispenser using Anthem UX® will enable them to see your message multiple times, helping achieve the Rule of 7 more efficiently.

Align your Marketing Message while Increasing Return on Advertising Spend (ROAS)

Customer acquisition marketing campaigns are broad reaching, expensive and usually inclusive of multiple media vehicles in a single campaign. Because of this, marketing teams are focused on delivering a cohesive brand presence across all vehicles while looking for ways to keep down costs.

When used as a digital out-of-home advertising tool, Anthem UX® platform and AX12™ Enhanced can connect your campaign messaging to the target shopper in the ‘last 20 feet’, the critical distance from the fuel island to the store. Marketers gain the ability to display the same digital creative on the forecourt as is used for email, mobile or online, but with a more urgent call-to-action to drive immediate results. Leveraging a consistent digital campaign helps minimize creative cost and optimize recall, while the action-oriented end card can be tailored to individual store offers for maximized conversion. Combined, this creates a highly efficient and cost-effective means to extend your online customer acquisition campaign to the forecourt.

Broad-reaching acquisition vehicles such as email campaigns, local print and geo-targeted online and mobile banner ads come at a higher cost. With standard cost per thousand (CPM) for banners of $5-15 and digital video ranging between $15-$30, marketing teams need ways to reduce cost and maximize ROAS. Placing ads on owned inventory such as the company website, mobile applications, and store signage helps drive revenue without adding baseline cost, essentially benefiting ROAS.

One of the most powerful and often overlooked owned digital assets is in the dispenser itself. With only a nominal subscription fee, running full color multi-media video and banners on a sleek 12” AX12™ Enhanced or 27” Anthem UX® display is almost pure upside —a marketer’s dream.

Drive business your way with DFS Anthem UX® and AX12™ Enhanced to optimize your customer acquisition strategy and drive shopper action in the critical "last 20 feet". With our innovative platform technology, you can offer out-of-the-box experiences that go beyond fueling. Attract and engage prospective customers with dynamic visuals, effectively and efficiently convert passive fuel consumers to in-store shoppers with targeted ads, and extend your marketing creative investments and campaigns to owned dispenser inventory, reaching customers just steps from the c-store.

Discover how Dover Fueling Solutions can transform your business today by talking with your DFS representative and exploring Anthem UX® and AX12™ Enhanced using link below.