It can be tough to know where to focus your marketing budget when the landscape is constantly shifting. One area that's seen significant change, yet still holds immense potential to change, is printed leaflets.
For many merchandising teams, these leaflets are still the backbone of their promotional planning. They serve a functional purpose in managing inventory and sales, especially for end-of-season stock or supplier discounts.
And let's be honest, there's a certain pride in holding a physical representation of your work — a printed leaflet you can feel and touch, a stark contrast to a fleeting online banner.
However, the world has moved on, and so have consumers. To find the best deals, 84% of consumers now research online before visiting a store.
This means a printed leaflet, no matter how beautifully designed, is missing a huge proportion of its potential audience, and missing the mark on its functional purpose — to shift stock. The digitisation of printed leaflets isn't just a strategic solution; it's essential for bridging the online-offline gap and maximising marketing spend.
The digital leap: More than just a promotional PDF
A digital leaflet effectively connects offers with consumers, driving them to an online or offline store. While many marketers start by simply digitising weekly PDF flyers, the sky is truly the limit. Think engaging videos, dynamic banners, and interactive experiences.
Thanks to advancements in AI, content creation for these formats is now more accessible and scalable than ever before. AI has removed the previous limits of static print.
The true magic of digital leaflets lies in their ability to offer something print simply cannot: unparalleled targeting, personalisation, and measurement. This isn't just about showing offers to everyone in a given region. It's about reaching the right person, at the right time, with the right promotion.
You can now use real-time data and AI to deliver highly relevant deals to individual consumers across their digital journey, from search to streaming to shopping. This creates true value for the customer and, by extension, for your business.
In-store promos: The next evolution of the flyer
Google’s new "In-Store Promos" go further than digitising offline content. Creating a holistic experience that seamlessly meets consumers wherever they are in their shopping journey.
They are a combination of three product solutions Demand Gen, Performance Max for Store Goals, and Local Inventory Ads:
Imagine this: it's the end of year holiday season and your brick-and-mortar stores in a particular region have a fantastic sale on children's toys. As an advertiser, you can upload this deal information into your Merchant Centre, highlighting discounted items and specific store locations. Then, using Google's smart tools like local inventory ads, your toy deals can appear across Search, Shopping, and even Maps (via Demand Gen and Performance Max) when local shoppers are searching for "festive gift ideas for children in my area".
For the consumer, this means a seamless experience. They might see a promoted deal on a local inventory ad whilst looking for local kids' toy shops. This isn't just an ad; it features rich, enhanced product information, including availability. It even includes directions to the store via Google Maps. That in-store purchase is then registered back to your campaign, allowing for intelligent decision-making for future promotions. Here’s an example:
This solution makes use of the power of AI. It enhances content creation and targeting, allows users to see promotions across their entire customer journey with better product information, and links up the metrics within their accounts to provide granular reporting on traffic and sales in the store.
Results that will ensure you’re ready to make the shift
These capabilities translate into tangible benefits. One Dutch department store chain saw a 32% increase in omnichannel return-on-investment and a 2% uplift in overall in-store revenue when using In-Store Promos. A Dutch retailer experienced vastly expanded reach, connecting with over a billion users through mapping services alone.
Beyond revenue growth and expanded reach, the shift to digital also offers significant cost efficiencies. Sustainability is a big focus for many brands who realise this isn't just a "nice to have" anymore; 4 in 10 European consumers “occasionally or regularly” think about sustainability.
Another European retailer we worked with saw a 30X reduction in production costs and a 50X reduction in cost per visit to their stores by using online video ads instead of paper leaflets.
In 2025, every marketing Euro needs to work harder. The 'black box' of offline leaflet spend simply doesn't fit into that equation anymore.
The time for digital leaflets is here. By embracing this dynamic trend, retailers can grow reach, efficiency, and footfall in their key campaign moments, and deliver maximum impact.
