Gas stations and convenience stores are sitting on a goldmine of untapped physical advertising space, from the pump to brick-and-mortar locations. Between in-store digital end caps and self-checkout systems, as well as pump displays, there is ample opportunity to use digital signage to engage with and market to customers at the point of purchase. Integrating these assets into a larger omnichannel retail media network (RMN) strategy can significantly enhance the gas station and convenience store customer journey and help convert pump visits to purchases. It can also increase average transaction value, drive brand loyalty, and unlock new ad revenue.
Yet, without a clear plan in place, getting these displays up and running or even maximizing existing screens to drive more memorable, data-driven shopping experiences and ad revenue can feel overwhelming. Success hinges on a scalable strategy for these screens that ensures content, technology, data, and measurement are aligned with that of the store’s larger omnichannel retail media network. The leading gas and convenience retail media networks today share these core pump and in-store media traits in common:
1. A scalable tech stack blueprint
Just as a house needs a strong foundation, a successful gas and convenience media network requires a solid tech stack. Having the right content management system and ad server in place to manage content across screens in-store and/or at the pump is essential. Ideally, both support real-time content delivery and dynamic scheduling, enabling more relevant content to reach customers through the use of triggers like time of day, weather, events, and more. Built-in centralized control and automation are also essential content management system and ad server capabilities, as they can streamline operations and reduce manual network intervention.
Interoperability is equally crucial when building or updating the tech stack powering these displays. It’s important to prioritize technologies, like Broadsign, built on open standards that offer integration-ready APIs and hands-on support. This will make it easier to collaborate with preferred third-party vendors and connect in-store and pump screens with shopper insights and reporting tools. They’ll also provide the flexibility to grow across store types and campaign formats and take advantage of emerging technology developments.
Deploying modular, integration-ready tools that support dynamic content, seamless execution, and real-time measurement can ensure long-term success. A digital asset management system, for instance, lets you tailor assets based on location or season, and helps streamline approval workflows for brand compliance. A customer data platform linking online, mobile, in-store, and pump data then creates new opportunities to personalize content. In a perfect world, these tools include features like real-time profile enrichment, identity resolution, and direct CMS integration.
Integrating with a flexible programmatic OOH supply-side-platform that makes screen inventory visible to a broader range of buyers across demand-side-platforms is also a consideration, and can also go a long way in helping to increase revenue.
2. An automated dynamic content strategy
Every gas and convenience store has a unique identity and audience, so an ad that works in one location may not in another. This is why it’s crucial to ensure your infrastructure allows for the tailoring of content and advertisements across store displays and locations. This way, you can align with what shoppers are doing and experiencing in the moment. It also becomes easier to promote loyalty sign-up promotions at checkout, provide snack suggestions, demo new products, or move an inventory surplus via displays in high-traffic areas, and more. Integrating programmatic advertising technology into the tech stack powering in-store and pump screens can also be beneficial here, helping to automatically align creative with context, campaign goals, and available inventory.
Smart scheduling and content management system integrations can further boost the tech stack powering these screens, making it simpler to rotate creative based on location or time of day, trigger campaigns using real-time data like inventory or shopper movement, and set rules to avoid conflicting messages. The result is a more personalized and intentional shopper experience that supports retailer and brand objectives.
3. Streamlined operations
In the case of gas and convenience store screen networks, start small but think big. Building workflows, tools, and teams that scale together ensures you can manage campaigns, complexity, and revenue without losing clarity or control. Keep the focus on implementing operations with repeatable processes and clearly defined roles. Don’t try to support all the different screen types and strategies. Often, piloting just one area at a time can deliver results, while leaving ample runway for further experimentation and growth.
Personnel and governance also play a key role in operational efficiency, so consider team alignment across merchandising, marketing, and media. Think about the standardized intake workflows, trafficking processes, and approval timelines required. Establish ownership for every stage of a content campaign that runs across your screens, from asset submission to localization, deployment, and reporting, and set consistent rules to help maintain control as content volume increases. This will likely involve some form of automation, which is where a CMS and ad delivery platform that support scheduling logic and dynamic targeting can be powerful, helping to significantly reduce manual effort and unlock long-term efficiency.
4. A well-defined roadmap for leveraging and protecting first-party data
Most gas stations and convenience stores today have a wealth of first-party data accessible to them, from loyalty programs and cart history, as well as POS and mobile data. Some have even invested in tools that leverage computer vision sensors to capture real-time screen impressions. Having screen impression data is paramount to any gas and convenience store media network with screens. It provides invaluable insights into how shoppers move, browse, and buy products in real time that can inform an in-store and pump content strategy, audience targeting, and make a network more attractive to endemic and non-endemic advertisers.
First-party data is an incredible strategic asset that is already driving campaign performance, strengthening brand partnerships, and building shopper loyalty for retailers embracing in-store media networks. A word of caution, however, when leveraging this data, it’s important to put the proper privacy safeguards in place. Clean rooms, opt-in consent frameworks, and role-based access controls can all help strike the right balance between data utility and trust.
5. A measurement and reporting game plan
Measurement is a vital tool for learning, adjusting, and improving gas and convenience store media networks over time. Think carefully about it, and think beyond basic impressions, which can be limiting. Evaluate the best ways to measure product lift, foot traffic, dwell time, and in-store or pump conversions, and use those insights to determine what’s working and what’s not. To this end, aligning with the IAB’s In-Store Retail Media Standards can be valuable, as standardized reporting ensures advertisers can compare performance across networks and understand how in-store and pump media fit into their broader media mix.
While proving ROI is important, being able to leverage measurement to improve performance insights is equally paramount. This is where CMS and ad delivery platforms that support in-store and pump analytics, surface actionable insights, and deliver clear, IAB-compliant reports are instrumental. When measurement is a key consideration from the start, it’s easier to optimize, show impact, and give brand partners a reason to return.
Whether launching a new gas and convenience media network at the pump or in-store, or expanding an existing network, paying attention to these five core elements can ensure a long-lasting activation that will continue to deliver business results. Get more insights into how to scale your signage strategy for your gas and convenience store’s retail media network.
This post is sponsored by Broadsign