Tying Ad Spend to Foot Traffic

Bernstein-Rein came to us with a QSR chain that was in a tough spot. With customers unable to transact online, coupon measurement tricky and offline sales analysis expensive to come by, it needed guidance with its limited budget on which digital channels and promotions drive the most customers in-store.

We collected Foursquare foot traffic data for three months to measure promo effectiveness. Analyzing cost per visit by channel and geo, impressions to visits and visits by promo, we uncovered which digital marketing strategies deliver the biggest payoff of store visitors and the best use of Bernstein-Rein’s QSR client’s ad dollars.

Crunching the numbers, we found display is the clear winner at driving in-store visitors at an affordable cost. Video messaging is more effective than display or audio for promotions without a specific or seasonal menu item, and video performs best when promoting items on the QSR chain’s app.