Geographic Information System (GIS) may sound foreign to many marketers in the Eastern Africa region because of its prevalent use in other technical industries. In this article Esri EA Marketing Coordinator Victor Mutua shares how vital geography is in marketing activities.

Every year companies spend a huge chunk of their money in marketing activities such as exhibitions promotions and advertising without much results. But, knowing where and when to spend would save companies a lot. This is where GIS comes in. Maps allow you to visualize where exactly your customers and competition are located. These maps can be further enriched with demographic and psychographic information of customers so that you have a complete picture of their purchasing and spending characteristics.

Using geography is helping marketers worldwide see the bigger picture, become more agile, seize new market opportunities, and stay ahead of the competition. A good case in point is Esri’s geotrigger service which is used by retailers. Having this app enables retailers to send messages to customers’ mobile phones whenever they visit a location (geofence) the retailer specifies. It could be inside the store or outside when they are passing by.

For instance, in the United States players of a free virtual racing game received tips and tricks of winning the game whenever they bought and scanned cans of AMP Energy – an energy drink owned by Pepsi Co – whenever they passed a 7-Eleven store.

The result: the campaign drove sales distribution of AMP Energy Orange up 70% and total sales up by 5% at participating 7- Eleven stores during the promotion.

The benefits of the geotrigger service include:

• Cost Effectiveness: The geotrigger service is not as costly as having billboards and TV/radio ads.
• Targeting: Most marketing efforts by firms are not targeted to the right people. Firms operate on a hit or miss basis. The Geotrigger service ensures that only those who visit the pre-defined buffer zone/boundary receive the message.
• Market Research: The Geotrigger service operates on an opt in basis. You can be able to pinpoint loyal customers and quickly gather business intelligence such as where people are and the exact time the app is used.

This information is helpful in making marketing decisions.

If you’re a marketer, its time to embrace GIS in your marketing approach. Get in touch with marketing@esriea.com to see how your organization can benefit. You can also purchase our ArcGIS Products online.