---
id: "concept-campaign-spatial-rules"
type: "concept"
source_timestamps: ["§ Ad type changes the map", "¶14", "¶15"]
tags: ["ad-creative", "campaign-strategy", "geofencing"]
related: ["claim-promotional-ads-close", "claim-brand-ads-moderate-distance", "action-vary-spatial-rules", "concept-billboard-effect"]
definition: "The practice of adjusting geofence sizes and targeting logic based on the specific content and mechanism of the advertisement (e.g., promotional vs. brand-building)."
sources: ["tail1"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-tail1"
originDay: 1
articleStem: "hbr-tail-115-location-based-advertising"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/03/a-better-strategy-for-location-based-advertising"
sourceTitle: "A Better Strategy for Location-Based Advertising"
---
# Campaign-Specific Spatial Rules

Not all ads benefit from the same spatial strategy — the map should change with the message. This concept pairs directly with the action [[action-vary-spatial-rules]].

## Two ad mechanisms, two geofences
- **Price-promotional ads** (temporary deals and discounts): provide *novel information even to nearby customers* and demand *immediate action*. They disproportionately motivate consumers with **low travel costs**, making them highly effective at **close absolute distances** — they bypass the [[concept-billboard-effect]]. See [[claim-promotional-ads-close]].
- **Brand-building ads** (product quality, store experience): function as **reminders**. They are highly ineffective among the closest customers (the storefront already reminds them) but **peak at moderate distances** among customers who are spatially predisposed to visit but need a nudge. See [[claim-brand-ads-moderate-distance]].

## The rule
**One universal geofence should not govern all campaigns.** Use tighter geofences for promotions and broader, moderate-distance geofences for brand/reminder messages.

## Enrichment context
This maps cleanly onto the classic **brand-vs-performance (activation) advertising** distinction and standard media-geography practice, where awareness campaigns run broad and activation runs near point-of-sale. The specific empirical claim that **brand lift peaks at moderate distance** is the authors' field finding, not yet widely replicated.