Location-based marketing (LBM) is not just about showing people an ad when they walk past your shop. It’s about understanding where your audience spends time, both physically and digitally, and using that insight to reach them in smarter, more creative ways.

At Soop, we like to think of location-based marketing as an entire toolkit rather than a single tactic. Here’s how the best brands are using it across multiple channels to stay ahead.

Geofencing

The classic and still one of the most powerful. Geofencing lets you draw a virtual boundary around a specific location - a retail store, stadium, event, or even a competitor’s premises - and serve ads to anyone who enters. It’s perfect for precision targeting and real-time engagement. 

Digital Out of Home (DOOH) advertising 

Modern outdoor advertising has gone digital, and dynamic. With DOOH, brands can run hyper-targeted, time-sensitive campaigns on screens in shopping centres, train stations, and high streets. Combine that with mobile retargeting, and you can keep engaging audiences long after they’ve left the area.

Connected TV (CTV)

Streaming platforms like Disney+, Amazon Prime, and smart TVs now allow ads based on viewer location and demographics. That means your brand can appear on the big screen in homes within a specific city, postcode, or radius, a high-impact way to reach local audiences in premium environments.

Paid search and contextual targeting

Location targeting works brilliantly in search too. You can target people searching for “best lunch near me” within a set radius, or use contextual placements to appear alongside relevant content. It’s intent-driven marketing that meets people where their interest already is.

Commercial radio and audio

Digital radio and podcast platforms now allow location-based targeting, letting you speak directly to local audiences with messages that feel personal and relevant.

Bringing it all together

The real magic happens when these tactics work together. By layering geofencing, search, CTV, and DOOH, you create a consistent, multi-channel experience that follows your audience seamlessly from awareness to action.

At Soop, we help brands use location-based marketing to be in the right place, at the right time — every time.