Author: Donna Hood Crecca
Recently, as the local morning news blared from the television on the kitchen counter, I perused the fridge and found milk and bread wanting. But I was headed to the pediatrician with a sick child -- a stop at the grocery store or any store was not an option with a feverish baby. Just then, a television commercial for Dairy Barn caught my eye: an image of the store's red barn -- a car at the drive-through driven by a woman much like me with children in car seats. A friendly clerk handed her a bag and her change through the open car window.
The scene flowed into a shot of fresh, cold milk being poured. I knew where I was stopping on the way home from the doctor's office.
"That's what our television ads are designed to do --reinforce our brand message and remind people of our offerings when they're not driving," said Hari Singh, president of the East Northport, N.Y.-based company that operates 53 drive-through c-stores on Long Island.
Worked for me. And apparently it works for Dairy Barn. While radio ads conveying specific product promotions during peak drive times comprise half of the company's advertising budget, television ads target potential customers; adult drivers; when they're not behind the wheel.
"We spend 40 percent of our ad budget on cable television spots to get our message out when our customer is at home," Singh explained. "TV
keeps Dairy Barn top of mind. It lets us demonstrate the convenience of our drive-through service and range of products visually, which goes a long way toward creating an attachment to the brand."
As more and more convenience store operators shift their marketing strategy toward brand building, television is playing an increasingly important role in the marketing of both small regional chains like Dairy Barn and powerhouse operators. Eighty percent of 7-Eleven's advertising budget will go to television advertising this year, and CITGO reports similar spending.
"Television touches the major senses and is an easy way to evoke an emotional response, and that's what builds the brand image," said Bob Merz, director of marketing for Dallas-based 7-Eleven Inc. "TV is the fastest way to get a response and drive traffic, and do so in a way that supports the retail brand."
Newspaper and radio continue to be the preferred advertising mediums for convenience store operators, however, estimates Jeff Lenard, a spokesperson for the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS).
The most likely deterrent to television advertising is cost. Airtime is the largest expense involved, followed by production costs. For every $8 spent by Dairy Barn on television advertisements, $5 goes for airtime and $3 to production, said Singh. "But advertising is a significant competitive strategy, and if you want to build your brand today, you have to be in the TV game."
keeps Dairy Barn top of mind. It lets us demonstrate the convenience of our drive-through service and range of products visually, which goes a long way toward creating an attachment to the brand."
As more and more convenience store operators shift their marketing strategy toward brand building, television is playing an increasingly important role in the marketing of both small regional chains like Dairy Barn and powerhouse operators. Eighty percent of 7-Eleven's advertising budget will go to television advertising this year, and CITGO reports similar spending.
"Television touches the major senses and is an easy way to evoke an emotional response, and that's what builds the brand image," said Bob Merz, director of marketing for Dallas-based 7-Eleven Inc. "TV is the fastest way to get a response and drive traffic, and do so in a way that supports the retail brand."
Newspaper and radio continue to be the preferred advertising mediums for convenience store operators, however, estimates Jeff Lenard, a spokesperson for the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS).
The most likely deterrent to television advertising is cost. Airtime is the largest expense involved, followed by production costs. For every $8 spent by Dairy Barn on television advertisements, $5 goes for airtime and $3 to production, said Singh. "But advertising is a significant competitive strategy, and if you want to build your brand today, you have to be in the TV game."
Petroleum Corp., agreed. "We think TV is a powerful tool that is vastly underutilized by convenience store marketers," she said. CITGO is a longtime television advertiser, and works to broaden its marketers' access to quality television advertising.
Through the CITGO extranet, operators of the 13,500 branded locations -- 75 percent of which have convenience stores -- can review the storyboards and scripts of several 30-second television ads. Each ties to the company's "You Know Me" campaign, and a five-second tag can be incorporated to link the ad to the individual marketer.
The in-house Creative Group, under the direction of Nancy Werhande, CITGO advertising development and production manager, works with marketers to develop and implement the tag, and prepare the commercial for broadcast.
"We're able to personalize and localize the ad," said Anderson. "The commercials relate the friendly relationship between the clerk and the customer, conveying that we understand their needs. Personalizing it with a store location tag or particular promotion brings it very close to home."
CITGO research analysts are also available to assist marketers in reviewing syndicated data to determine the best vehicles and time slots for their ads. "We don't own the locations, but our success is directly tied to theirs," said Anderson. "It's so important that we supply them with the tools and resources to be successful, and television is one of those tools."
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