CalHFA Dream For All: Statewide Place-Based Campaign

Tactics

Place-Based Media: Supermarket POP Panels + C-Store 1-Sheet Posters

The Challenge

CalHFA needed to drive awareness and applications for the California Dream For All shared appreciation loan program, a first-come, first-served lottery opening to all eligible Californians. The biggest challenge: reaching rural populations where digital advertising is spotty, and engaging Black and Latino communities who are historically underserved by traditional marketing channels. The campaign needed statewide reach across California's diverse geography, from LA to the Central Valley to the Bay Area.

Our Solution

iKahan media, powered by InPlace Media, deployed a comprehensive statewide place-based media campaign across California, placing advertising directly in the communities where target audiences live, shop, and gather. The campaign ran across 105 supermarkets via POP panels and 250 convenience store 1-sheet posters at store entrance points, reaching consumers at eye level as they enter everyday retail environments. This hyperlocal, community-embedded approach was specifically designed to reach rural and underserved populations that digital campaigns often miss.

Results

• 58.7M+ estimated impressions over the 8-week campaign
• 12,000+ applications submitted to the Dream For All lottery
• 105 supermarkets with POP panel placements statewide
• 250 convenience stores with 1-sheet poster placements
• 7.3M+ weekly impressions (A18+) across all locations
• 209 QR code scans (85 c-store + 124 supermarket) driving direct traffic to calhfa.ca.gov
• Coverage across LA, SF/Oakland, San Diego, Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield, Monterey, Chico, and more

Media Strategy Overview

The media strategy centered on place-based advertising at high-traffic retail environments where target audiences already spend time. Rather than relying on digital channels (which underperform in rural areas and among older demographics), iKahan media placed physical media at store entrance points across California, powered by InPlace Media's extensive retail network. Each placement included a QR code linking directly to calhfa.ca.gov for immediate action. Two placement types were deployed: POP (point-of-purchase) panels at the entrance of 105 supermarkets, and 1-sheet posters at the entrance of 250 convenience stores. The campaign ran for two 4-week flights from January 12 to March 8, 2026.

Ad Spending & Outreach

The campaign deployed 355 total placements (105 supermarket POP panels + 250 c-store 1-sheet posters) across the state of California, delivering an estimated 58.7 million adult 18+ impressions over 8 weeks. Weekly estimated impressions averaged 7.3 million A18+ across all locations.

Outreach by Region

• Los Angeles: Supermarket POP panels and c-store 1-sheet posters across LA County
• San Francisco / Oakland: POP panels and c-store posters across the Bay Area including San Jose, Hayward, Oakland, Redwood City, and East Palo Alto
• San Diego: POP panels and c-store posters across San Diego County
• Sacramento / Stockton: POP panels and c-store posters across the Sacramento metro and Central Valley
• Fresno: POP panels and c-store posters in the Fresno metro area
• Bakersfield: POP panels and c-store posters in Bakersfield and Arvin
• Monterey / Salinas: POP panels and c-store posters across Monterey County
• Chico: C-store posters in the Chico area (rural Northern California)

Demographic & Community Reach

Place-based media at supermarkets and convenience stores is uniquely effective at reaching diverse audiences in their own neighborhoods. Supermarket POP panels are positioned at stores that serve predominantly Latino and Black communities across California, particularly in the Central Valley (Fresno, Bakersfield), South LA, and the Inland Empire. C-store 1-sheet posters provide coverage in rural areas and smaller communities where digital advertising has limited reach, including Chico, Salinas, and Arvin. The QR code scan data confirms geographic diversity, with scans recorded across Los Angeles, San Fernando, Temecula, Bakersfield, San Francisco, San Diego, Calabasas, West Hollywood, Chino, and North Gate, among other cities.

Conclusion

The place-based media strategy proved highly effective for the Dream For All campaign. The program received over 12,000 applications in the lottery, a result CalHFA described as exceeding expectations. The physical, hyperlocal nature of the media placements ensured the message reached communities that are often missed by digital-only campaigns. Supermarket POP panels outperformed c-store posters in QR code engagement (124 scans vs. 85 scans), suggesting that the longer dwell time in supermarkets drives higher engagement. The campaign successfully reached its priority audiences: rural populations, Black communities, and Latino communities across California.

Recommendations for Future Campaigns

• Expand geographic coverage to additional rural areas and smaller cities across California to deepen reach into underserved communities
• Increase focus on Black community outreach by adding placements in barbershops, salons, and laundromats that serve predominantly Black neighborhoods
• Add new venue types beyond supermarkets and c-stores, including laundromats, check cashing locations, and doctor's offices, to broaden the touchpoint network
• Prioritize supermarket POP panels in future campaigns, as they delivered 46% more QR code scans than c-store posters and are exclusive to iKahan's network
• Consider extending campaign duration beyond 8 weeks to build sustained awareness, particularly in rural areas where word-of-mouth takes longer to develop
• Add bilingual (English/Spanish) creative to maximize engagement in Latino communities across the Central Valley and Southern California