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bLocal
Like Reply has designed the bLocal platform in such a way as to be flexible and able to respond in a timely manner to the different contexts that characterise each business.
Integrated ADV services
The platform is presented as a marketplace, from which individual points of sale can have access to purchase and customise the advertising services that the Brand has previously configured and released on the store. The communication channels offered by the platform are Social Advertising and Paid Search. Within this framework, the Brand has the possibility to identify the settings and templates that best suit its needs. bLocal's development roadmap foresees the constant introduction of new channels; next to be integrated will be display advertising and direct marketing campaigns.
Interaction between brand and sales network
The platform is designed to create a point of contact between the Brand and its sales network. To do this, bLocal is designed to work according to three different interaction models:
The Brand configures the service and the local business acquires it
The Brand configures the service and allocates the budget for its provision to the points of sale. The local business can access the platform to monitor the results and, if necessary, customise its campaigns.
The Brand configures the service and allocates the budget for its provision to the points of sale. The point of sale is not involved
Similarly to the buying methods available for campaigns, bLocal offers the possibility to manage the invoicing processes both centrally (for example, through a single monthly invoice sent to the Brand) and in distributed mode, sending to each local business a monthly invoice.
Platform usage
Brands have the opportunity to exploit the potential offered by the platform through the following kinds of contracts.
Managed Service
The Brands are assisted in the setting up of the relationship with their own sales network, through consulting services and through taking charge of all platform management and configuration activities
Self Service
After an introductory training, the Brand will be able to carry out all platform management and configuration activities independently, backed by Like Reply for technical matters.
Planning the digitisation of the sales network in the post Covid-19 era
Physical sales networks are among the most affected businesses by Covid-19's pandemic. Because of this, focusing on a technological initiative such as the digitisation of a sales network can provide the innovative push needed to accelerate economic recovery in a post-pandemic phase. Being there when consumers carry out a search and communicating correct and up-to-date information is certainly the first step in a broader path that places stores and the network at the centre of a communication strategy coordinated with that of the Brand.
These days the relationship with customers starts online. A digital showcase guarantees visibility and offers local points of sale the opportunity to establish new ways of interacting with consumers, no longer based exclusively on a visit to the shop but enriched by alternative forms, such as chats or video calls. Finally, the paid visibility brought by advertising campaigns acts as an amplifier, significantly increasing contact opportunities and contributing tangibly to increase revenues, not only of the stores but also of the Brand.
