Vistar Media Study: Store Locator Placement Lifts DOOH Visit Intent
2026-10-26 · via invidis
New research from Vistar Media says a simple creative tweak, adding a store locator to programmatic digital out-of-home ads, can meaningfully lift consumer intent to visit or buy. The study, conducted with Omnicom Media and Annalect, matters for anyone selling or buying DOOH inventory because it offers measurable evidence for a creative feature that has mostly been marketed on technical capability rather than results.
Vistar Media surveyed 7,200 consumers aged 18 to 59, showing them DOOH creatives with no store locator or with one placed at the top, middle, or bottom of the ad. The test spanned three categories: retail, quick-service restaurants, and consumer packaged goods.
Placement and design matter
According to the company, store locators placed at the top or bottom of the creative consistently beat middle placement, where the location information had to compete with headlines and imagery for attention.
Vistar Media reports the strongest results came from bottom-positioned locators: a 35 percent increase in visit intent for retail campaigns and a 24 percent uplift for QSR campaigns. For impulse-driven CPG products like confectionery, the company says purchase intent rose 116 percent with bottom placement and 110 percent with top placement.
Two design details also stood out in the study's best-performing creatives. Vistar Media says a location pin icon produced a 16 percent uplift in visit intent, and high-contrast designs increased visit and purchase intent by roughly 10 percent.
A caveat on branding
The research also flagged a downside: when store locators gave prominent visual weight to third-party retailer or dealership branding, recognition of the advertised brand sometimes dropped. That suggests media buyers and creative teams need to weigh activation tactics against brand-building goals when designing dynamic creative.
For operators and retail media networks, the findings reinforce a point that gets less attention than targeting and automation: creative execution still drives outcomes, and it can do so without added media spend. Dynamic Creative Optimisation, which can tailor DOOH messages by location, time, weather, or retail proximity, has been pitched for years as one of programmatic DOOH's advantages. This study gives that pitch some data to point to.
The announcement does not say how the study defined or measured "visit intent" or "purchase intent", nor does it specify the screen formats, markets, or specific retailers and brands involved in the test creatives. It also does not disclose whether Vistar Media's own platform or inventory was used to serve the test ads, which would be relevant context given the company's commercial interest in demonstrating DOOH effectiveness.
The announcement in full
Reproduced from invidis for reference. Digital Signage Magazine did not write the text below.
New research from Vistar Media suggests that a simple creative element can significantly improve the effectiveness of digital out-of-home campaigns: the store locator. According to a study conducted with Omnicom Media and Annalect, adding location information to programmatic DooH campaigns can substantially increase consumer intent, especially when placed at the top or bottom of the creative.
As programmatic Digital-out-of-home continues to mature, advertisers are increasingly looking beyond audience targeting and automation toward creative optimisation. Dynamic Creative Optimisation (DCO) has become one of the medium’s most valuable capabilities, allowing brands to tailor messages according to location, time, weather, or retail proximity. One of the most common applications is the dynamic store locator, directing consumers to nearby stores, restaurants, or dealers.
Store information can drive measurable action
To better understand the impact of store locators, Vistar Media conducted a study among 7,200 consumers aged 18 to 59. Participants were shown DooH creatives with either no store locator or one positioned at the top, middle, or bottom of the advertisement. The research covered three major categories: retail, quick-service restaurants (QSR), and consumer packaged goods (CPG).
The findings were clear: adding store information increased consumer intent across categories, but placement mattered. Store locators positioned at the top or bottom of the creative consistently outperformed those placed in the middle, where location information often had to compete for attention with headlines and imagery.
The strongest category-specific results were recorded with bottom-positioned store locators:
Retail campaigns achieved a 35% increase in visit intent.
QSR campaigns delivered a 24% uplift in visit intent.
For impulse-driven CPG products such as confectionery, purchase intent increased by 116% with bottom placement and 110% with top placement.
The study suggests that store locators are particularly effective when consumers can act immediately after exposure, making them highly relevant for retail media, convenience retail, foodservice, and omnichannel campaigns.
Beyond positioning, the research highlights the importance of execution. Two design elements stood out across the best-performing creatives:
According to the study, the location pin generated a 16% uplift in visit intent, while high-contrast designs increased visit and purchase intent by approximately 10%.
The findings underline a broader industry trend: small creative adjustments can generate measurable campaign improvements without requiring additional media investment.
The research arrives at a time when retailers and brands are increasingly integrating digital signage, retail media networks, and programmatic advertising. For advertisers investing in omnichannel customer journeys, the store locator may prove to be one of the most effective bridges between digital engagement and physical store visits.
However, the study also identified a potential drawback. When store locators prominently featured third-party retailer or dealership branding, recognition of the advertised brand occasionally declined, suggesting that marketers need to balance activation goals with brand-building objectives.
For years, dynamic creative capabilities have been one of the most frequently cited advantages of programmatic DooH. Yet most industry discussions have focused on technology rather than effectiveness. Vistar Media’s research adds valuable evidence that creative optimisation can directly influence consumer behaviour. As retail media networks increasingly rely on digital signage as a physical touchpoint, seemingly minor details such as the placement of store information could have a significant impact on campaign ROI.