Local Marketing Made Simple with Grocery Ads | Eric Shafer from Indoor Media

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Welcome to today’s episode. Let’s talk about today’s guest. We have Eric from Indoor Media, CTO and CMO. How are you doing today, Eric?

Eric Shafer: Very good, thanks.

Ernesto: Great. Great to have you on. We were discussing a little bit about what Indoor Media is all about before the episode, but let’s give our listeners what they tuned in for. In your own words, Eric, what’s Indoor Media all about?

Eric: Yeah. So we’re a 34-year-old company, and what we do is provide local business marketing through an exclusive advertising channel, which is the grocery store. Our main customers are local businesses—quick-serve restaurants, hair and nail salons, dry cleaners, auto services—as well as realty, insurance, and legal businesses.

Business owners can advertise at a store, regional, state, or national level in any of 9,000 grocery stores in the United States and Canada. They do this either on the back of register receipt tapes, usually as a coupon, or literally on shopping carts as a brand ad.

Our founder started with McDonald’s franchises back in the late 80s and had so much success with receipt tape advertising that he bought the company providing the advertising for him. In his words, “You don’t buy customers; you only rent them.”

Ernesto: Interesting. That’s an insightful take. For everyone listening, what would you say is the key problem that you solve for clients?

Eric: I think for most of our customers, the biggest challenge they face is that they are independent business owners, even if they are franchisees. They might own one or several locations, but it’s rarely more than that. These owners are some of the busiest people on the planet because they have to handle supply chains, staffing, customer service, accounting, and more. Marketing often becomes one of the last things on their list.

One great thing about Indoor Media is that we provide turnkey solutions for them. Beyond that, the local marketing environment can be very competitive, and it’s hard to stand out digitally. Because of our relationships with grocery stores, our customers can access an exclusive channel. Whether it’s receipt tape ads that go directly into customers’ hands or shopping cart ads, it’s an excellent way to gain exposure and build repetition—up to seven times a week.

Ernesto: Definitely. That’s great to hear. So, who would you say is your primary client? Is there a segment you focus on?

Eric: Our top customers are Mexican restaurants. Interestingly, there aren’t as many chain Mexican restaurants, so they don’t benefit from national campaigns supporting franchisees. Pizza is our second top category for tape, followed by other quick-serve restaurants, hair and nail salons, auto care, dry cleaning, and car washes. These businesses work well with coupons because they can incentivize customers to switch or return more often.

On the shopping cart side, our biggest customers are realtors. They love the product because it gets their face in front of customers at grocery stores in their target neighborhoods. We also work with legal professionals, urgent care providers, and other businesses looking for local branding opportunities.

Ernesto: How do people typically find out about you? What’s your top client acquisition channel?

Eric: Honestly, because most of our customers are so busy, we have to go find them. They’re not spending much time looking online, and even if they are, a lot of digital solutions are tailored for bigger budgets. So, we rely heavily on cold calling. We have a pretty sizable salesforce that focuses on the top 20 categories for each product. Even in today’s environment, cold calling continues to work well for us.

Ernesto: Great. I’m here on your website, indoormedia.com, for our listeners. What role does the website play in client acquisition?

Eric: Our website is actually our single best sales rep—it outperforms any individual salesperson in revenue. However, when you have 500-550 sales reps, having one top performer isn’t as dominant as we’d like. The website also plays a big role in building trust. Many people visit it after speaking to a telemarketer, appointment setter, or sales rep to confirm our credibility and learn more about us.

Ernesto: Great to hear that. Let’s switch gears a little, Eric, and talk about you as a leader. You’re both CTO and CMO. What are some key tasks you focus on in your day-to-day work?

Eric: I sit at the intersection of technology and marketing, focusing on customer success. I joined the company eight years ago to explore solutions for local marketing beyond receipt tape and shopping cart ads.

On a daily basis, I work on crafting marketing pitches and talking points for our sales reps while helping evolve the company into a more multifaceted marketing consulting agency. We’re also developing new products like digital integration, display advertising, and PPC for maps. I spend a lot of time ensuring these products deliver real value to our customers.

Ernesto: Sounds like a full plate. Let’s jump into our rapid-fire questions round. Ready?

Eric: Hit me.

Ernesto: What’s the last book you read?

Eric: Yes, And. I recently started taking improv classes and wanted to learn more about the theory. The concept of “Yes, and…”—accepting what someone says and building on it—is something I’m trying to instill in our company culture.

Ernesto: Great concept. What’s one thing your company is focused on the most right now?

Eric: Digital. We’re working hard to present the right digital products for our customers. For example, traditional PPC isn’t as impactful for independent restaurants, but map-based advertising is huge. We’ve also started combining print and display advertising for a more integrated approach.

Ernesto: If there were no boundaries in technology, what’s one thing you’d fix as a marketer?

Eric: Automating digital assessments. I’d love to have a system that instantly evaluates a business’s online footprint and provides tailored recommendations.

Ernesto: If there’s one repetitive task you could automate, what would it be?

Eric: Compiling and analyzing data to assess a business’s digital presence.

Ernesto: Lastly, what advice would you give yourself if you were restarting your marketing journey?

Eric: Embrace lifelong learning. My liberal arts education gave me a foundation for continuous growth, and that’s been invaluable in my career.

Ernesto: Great advice. Eric, thanks so much for being on the show. If someone forgets everything from today, what’s the one thing they should remember about Indoor Media?

Eric: That you can advertise in grocery stores, the center of your community.

Ernesto: You heard it here. Check them out at indoormedia.com—a smarter way to market locally for just a few dollars a day. Eric, thanks for joining us. To our listeners, thank you for tuning in, and we look forward to the next episode of Pathmonk Presents.

Eric: Thanks so much.