How Barclays reached over 4 million people with hyper-local targeting

In response to the rise of online banking and the closure of some branches, Barclays had expanded its network of more than 440 Barclays Local sites by early 2024. These locations, in places like town halls and community centres, enable people to speak to Barclays staff and manage their banking needs. However, amid the media focus on bank closures, awareness of the sites was low. The bank needed a strategy for speaking directly to the communities it serves.

Working with OMD UK, Barclays combined data analysis and local insight to select 15 high-opportunity locations with under-utilised capacity. These locations were put into two tiers – ‘Gold’ or ‘Silver’ – with Gold sites comprising those with a Barclays Local Specialist responsible for building impact for the brand.

To ensure the hyper-targeting of its local messages, Barclays selected paid media channels with geo-targeting capabilities, such as social media and leaflets, or high local relevancy like local press. Gold sites utilised OOH sites in high-footfall spots, such as outside supermarkets.

The bank delivered more than 190 fully localised creative assets. Gold sites created authentic, local videos featuring their local specialist for use on social media. Each Silver site had a photoshoot to capture Barclays staff in their communities. The campaign messaging was developed in consultation with local staff to ensure it reflected the issues impacting customers in each location.

The campaign reached over 4 million people an average of 2.9 times, driving awareness of Barclays Local. Walk-ins also increased by an average of 24% during the campaign period, results which helped Barclays scoop the 2024 Marketing Week Award for Excellence in Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning.