I think the days where POP and Internet Promotion are in 2 separate camps fighting for the same marketing budget dollars is gone.  Increasingly, retail stores and manufacturers are finding that digital promotion adds to instore sales. So why aren’t we reading more about these two powerful forces combining their strengths to create a sales juggernaut?

What’s changed today is improved tracking of couponing and online generated leads and sales. As analytics improves further, and proves digital media power, we’ll see manufacturers and POP marketers really get on board with online marketing campaigns to support POP campaigns.

New techniques such as using customer reward programs have allowed marketers to track the success of web-based offers. All online marketing campaigns can be executed in isolation too, thus the success can be attributed to the online campaign. If you haven’t done this, it is probably one of the easiest methods of discovering the merit of digital marketing.

Transaction marketing enables marketers to track the effectiveness of online offers redeemed both online and in brick and mortar locations without printing coupons, or entering promotional codes that impede redemption.  Through transaction marketing, retailers present highly targeted offers for loyal customers and prospects based on the actual purchases a consumer has made. Retailers directly target consumers based on who has recently shopped at their store, or competitors stores, and narrow their reach based on geography, purchase frequency, how much is spent, and more.

There’s any number of ways to track the effectiveness of online offers and promotions.

The strong growth of smartphone and tablet usage is pushing many retailers and manufacturers into digital and mobile marketing tactics. More offers will be made via smartphone as customers enter stores. Customers will expect it. They will begin relying less on store print flyers.  And the cost savings of using digital couponing and promotion is too big to ignore for major retailers. They’re into it and will keep on growing their dependence on it.

Walmart is testing a mobile checkout and it could save them $12 million for every second of lineup time they save. That’s a pretty big incentive for a retailer, especially one like Walmart who are not targeting the upscale shopper.

In this video, you’re seeing sms text offers in action:

In other situations, using QR bar codes is an excellent way to go.  Could a bar code be the key part of your next social media campaign?

Have you chosen a local packaging company to plan, design and execute your next POP promotion?  Are you using the right type of packaging, the best packaging design, or the right POP displays?

Discover more about Shopper Marketing insights and the latest retail trends.  See this excellent case study on the power of in aisle point of purchase promotion.  See out top 10 display retail display tips.