At Sonar, we’re seeing the shift to Hyper-Local marketing play out across industries. From aged care to automotive to retail and we believe it is fast becoming one of the most powerful levers for growth.
You will likely have noticed from your own user behaviour how you are using your mobile when you are out - you are looking for that location ‘near me’ just browsing anymore—they’re searching, comparing, reviewing, and deciding in real time, usually within a few hundred metres of where they stand.
Hyper-local marketing is a critical piece of the user experience for brands of every size. As mobile-first behaviour evolves and “near me” searches explode, the brands that can engage consumers at neighbourhood, street, or even building level are the ones winning attention, trust and conversions.
What Exactly Is Hyper-Local?
Hyper-local marketing focuses on micro-geographies rather than broad regions.
Where traditional local marketing might target a city or large region, hyper-local zooms into smaller radiuses—suburbs, blocks, or a 500-metre catchment around a location.
Think:
- Dynamic, real-time messaging
- Precision targeting
- Content and experiences that feel genuinely “for me”
It’s the difference between “Visit our Melbourne store” and “Your Glen Iris store has new stock in today.”
Why Hyper-Local Is Surging Right Now
A perfect storm of consumer behaviour and technology has made hyper-local not only viable—but essential.
- Mobile-First Moments: Over 90% of consumers rely on their phones to discover and evaluate nearby products or services. Expectations for instant, context-specific information have skyrocketed.
- Richer Data & Better Tech: Geofencing, beacons and privacy-safe data partnerships now make micro-targeting both accessible and compliant.
- Demand for Authentic Local Connection: People want to support businesses that feel part of their community. Hyper-local helps brands act small—even when they’re large.
- The Rise of “Near Me” Searches: “Near me” queries have jumped more than 200% YoY according to Google. Search algorithms now reward relevance, freshness and accurate local information.
Sonar’s Proprietary Solution and Approach
Hyper-local requires data, content and media working in sync. That’s where Sonar’s integrated approach makes a difference.
- Sonar has created an end-to-end solution combining data, technology and creative including data science, creative production and media strategy and buying.
- The result is a cohesive, insight-driven hyper-local campaigns—supported by dashboards that benchmark performance against category peers.
Use Cases Across Industries
Hyper-local works best when proximity impacts decision-making. Some examples include:
- Automotive – test drive booking, dealership events
- Aged Care – facility awareness in local catchments
- Healthcare – optometrists, dentists, allied health services
- Food & Beverage – QSR and franchise store-level promotions
- Retail – pop-ups, opening events, limited-time local offers
- Real Estate – listings and open-house promotion
- Home Services – solar, telecom, trades
- Government & Community – local engagement and event turnout
The Opportunity Ahead
Hyper-local isn’t just a tactic—it’s a way to build brand intimacy and drive conversion at scale. For organisations with physical locations or defined service areas, it creates the bridge between digital discovery and the offline world where revenue is realised.
With our unique blend of data partnerships, AI capabilities, and creative and media expertise, Sonar is helping organisations unlock this opportunity with precision, speed and impact.
If you’d like help exploring how hyper-local could work for your brand, we’d love to chat.
