How to Operate--Rolling the dice of mobile marketing

By Deng Jianhua
After lunch on Friday, when John, who is an ardent cartoon fan, was sitting in the office and feeling a little bored, he noticed that he had just received a WAP Push message on his mobile phone. Wow! It was a flash cartoon book, "Confucius Speaks: Words to Live By", that was just sent to him by his buddy Marry, through China Mobile's Monternet. John immediately clicked the link and downloaded the file to read it. After he finished, he was prompted to click an attached link to buy the cartoon series by Tsai Chih-chung, a famous cartoonist. John was even offered snippets of some other material to read on a trial basis. How considerate, he thought to himself! John immediately clicked the link and entered the Website. After reading a few pages, he decided to buy "The Tao Speaks: Lao-Tzu's Whispers of Wisdom", along with "The Dao of Zhuangzi: The Harmony of Nature". John again said to himself, "This is really great! How nice of Marry to think of me and send me this message, and Monternet's service is so wonderful!" John's service experience reflects the mobile marketing approach that is currently being introduced by China Mobile on the basis of its content delivery platform (CDP). The CDP is a mobile online business system and supports mobile operators to provide business-to-customer (B2C) services based on value-added contents. Through mobile communication channels, it promotes mobile value-added contents to end users. This marketing mode is called mobile marketing.

Mobile advertising becomes a pioneer To date, China Mobile's Monternet has acquired more than 100 million subscribers and enjoys great success. Statistics show that in promoting Monternet services, mobile advertisements sent from the 1860 SMS platform were far more effective than that on the standard media promotion of service providers (SPs). Mobile advertising has become an important marketing tool to develop business transactions on the CDP. However, mobile advertising can also be a double-edged sword. For instance, if advertisements are randomly sent to subscribers, it is much like sending junk messages to email accounts on the Internet. Subscribers might become highly agitated, start complaining, or even decide to quit the network. Hence, an important key for successful mobile advertising would be to comply with the 4C model and focus on target subscribers.
Complying with the 4C model In a survey conducted by the HPI Research Group on SMS advertising, over 3,300 mobile subscribers between the ages 16-45 were interviewed in 11 countries. The study reveals that as many as 86% of those surveyed agreed that it would be acceptable to receive commercial advertisements on their mobile phones if advertisers paid certain mobile charges for them. About 88% of the interviewees do not mind receiving such contents as stock information on their mobile phones, while nearly 31% expressed a high desire to receive stock information and related contents. The results show that subscribers would accept commercial advertisements if certain conditions are satisfied, and that subscribers would like to have the valueless information screened. In summary, consumers need 4C in order to accept mobile advertising under the following criteria: choice – they are free to decide whether or not to accept any advertising message; control – they can easily avoid unwanted sales information; customization – they can customize the types of information they want to receive; and C Quid pro quo – they want some form of pay-back from advertisers such as a reduction in service charges and electronic coupons that can be used in online department stores. If these principles are met, mobile advertisements based on the 4C model will be able to bring subscribers a wider range of added values, instead of irritation and discomfort.
Focusing on target subscribers Most people need sufficient time and effort to completely read through a message they receive on their mobile phones. Therefore, if the message being received does not suit the subscriber, it will most likely be deleted and be considered as junk messages. Therefore, an important step to implement the 4C model is to target specific subscribers. Operators also have a greater advantage in this type of advertising since they already know the subscribers' basic interests and hobbies, as well as their likes and dislikes regarding product information. Hence, by adopting mobile advertising strategies, they can target subscribers and loyal customers and send the kind of mobile advertisements that the subscribers might be interested in. The advertisements sent to subscribers might also be used as coupons. In this way, operators can avoid agitating subscribers, while at the same time increasing the success rate of their advertisements.
Spanning the entire purchase process Mobile advertisements are very useful for informing subscribers about products. However, subscribers might not buy products just because they know about them. Therefore, mobile marketing needs to provide more services than just mobile advertising. In the CDP, the operator sells mainly media contents, which includes RBT, pictures, games, and music. The process of media content consumption is not much different than any other ordinary shopping process in life. Therefore, what needs to be done first is to study the subscriber purchase behavior model. A subscriber's shopping and purchase behavior can be determined by using the awareness, interest, desire, and action (AIDA) model. A person first becomes aware of a product or service, then he or she begins to show interest in the product or service. As the subscriber becomes more informed about a particular product, then he or she often expresses a desire to purchase the product or service. Mobile marketing should encompass an overall marketing approach that covers the complete purchase process.
Phase of awareness In this phase, the operator should utilize various methods for the purpose of informing potentially valuable customers about value-added contents. In addition to mobile advertising, mobile marketing measures employed in this phase would include: inter-subscriber recommendation, product ranking, dynamic placement of products, link of associated commodities, and a search engine. By word-of-mouth: This is a measure whereby various products are promoted among subscribers. For instance, if subscriber A likes a product and thinks that subscribers B, C and D might also enjoy having it, then A might recommend the product. In this article, the flash cartoons sent to John by his friend Marry, through Monternet, serves as a typical example of word-of-mouth promotion. The operator needs to determine who the first 100 subscribers (seed subscribers) will be before starting the product promotion. This type of community forwarding mechanism, which is based on a broadcasting effect, is not only legal, but also avoids incensing subscribers, and moreover, it enables a higher success rate. In general, the operator can implement inter-subscriber recommendations together with the preferential score method. Recommenders can be awarded preferential score by operators for their recommendations. Hence, the operator, recommender and receiver can all help to form a triple-win situation. Ranking: Since value-added contents are highly diverse, it is often quite difficult for subscribers to select just the right one. In this case, operators can rank various products from different aspects, such as ranking of new songs, ranking of the most popular games, and ranking of the most beautiful scenery pictures. In this way, the operator can help guide subscribers in the selection and consumption process. Flexible product display: The display of various commodities in supermarkets can directly influence our consumption habits and interests in life. Therefore, the display of products is very important in terms of product sales. As the CDP is a software system controlled by the PC, it can flexibly place products according to subscriber groups and interests. Cross-selling: This purpose of this measure is to create links for products related to the sales contents, in order to indirectly guide the consumption. For example, when a subscriber is in the process of buying pictures of Michael Jordan, the CDP can also offer the subscriber other products about Michael Jordan such as "Video Clips of Michael Jordan" and "NBA Songs", to further arouse the subscriber's desire to purchase these items. In this article, after John finished reading the flash cartoon, "Confucius Speaks: Words to Live By", he bought related commodities through links that were attached to the cartoon. Search engine: The tremendous success of Google clearly illustrates the huge demand of subscribers for active search engines. Operator can also offer a mobile search engine, through which subscribers can more easily and conveniently find what they want. Undoubtedly, this measure will become much more successful over the coming future.
Phase of interest and desire In this phase, to attract subscribers, the operator can release product packages that are specifically oriented to different subscriber groups. For example, for high-school students, freshmen, and sophomores, operators can release "American hip-hop video package" which includes pictures of hip-hop stars, hip-hop music, and hip-hop videos. For white-collar workers, operators can release "leisure at noon package" which includes cartoons by Ron Chu, crossword puzzles, and block games. In addition, the operator can let subscribers experience a few types of contents for free, in order to cultivate their interests and desire to purchase these types of contents. The principle employed here is, "a subscriber can find out more about a given product after taking advantage of the free trial, but the subscriber will not be able to download or obtain the entire product." For example, the operator can let subscribers try out different contents, but the times or duration of each trial is limited. In a game, operators can let subscribers see typical game scenes and download a limited trial version. Other methods might include providing free directories of consulting reports, and a few news titles for free.
Phase of action Mobile marketing can be implemented even in the phase of action. For instance, the operator can refer to the shopping score scheme of supermarkets for the purpose of encouraging subscribers to buy more products. Another method is to encourage subscribers to send gifts to each other. Operators can pack value-added contents into gifts so that subscribers can buy and send them to others. This is considered an important marketing measure. A good example of the successful application of this measure is described in greater detail at the beginning of this article, when John received flash cartoons sent by Marry.
Phase of after-action For subscribers that have already purchased products, the operator can set up a "VIP customer club", which gives the operator the opportunity to deploy continuous mobile marketing. In this way, the operator can organize a few customer care activities. Moreover, the CDP can actively send product recommendation messages to subscribers upon subscriber authorization, in the event that an upgraded version of the product is released, or in case there happens to be strongly related products that the subscriber might be interested in. In this modern society, mobile phones have become a necessity for many people. The consumption of contents through mobile phones has now become the latest fashion. Hence, value-added contents provided by the CDP will become more and more popular among subscribers in the near future. In the complete purchase process, which includes the phase of awareness, phase of interest and desire, phase of action, and phase of after-action, mobile marketing can cultivate more pleasant shopping experiences by utilizing more humanistic marketing measures, in order to bring content products closer to subscribers and set up a win-win relationship between subscribers and operators.

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Bluetooth Marketing - How it works

September 26, 2008 at 12:53 pm · Filed under advertising, marketing ·Tagged bluetooth, Bluetooth Marketing, Bluetooth Advertising, livead mobile

We came across this article which simply explains what bluetooth marketing is and how it works….
What Bluetooth marketing is
Bluetooth marketing is about sending people stuff to their mobile phones from a hotspot. People need to be in a range of 10-100 meters (standard range of Bluetooth Class 1 modules) and may receive files like images, mp3, 3gp videos, Java applications and games (.jar files).
What Bluetooth marketing is not
Bluetooth is not SMS. You do not send text messages - you send files, and what’s moreover people can accept or reject the transmission.
How it works
When a person with a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone gets close to the Bluetooth hotspot, it will send him a request for a permission for sending files (e.g. Do you want to connect with Porsche?) and once the permission is granted, the hotspot starts sending content previously configured by a marketer.
Professional Bluetooth transmitters are able to send files to more than 50 users at the same time. They can also recognise mobile phone type and a vendor to send mobile content specially matched to a specified handset.
When Bluetooth marketing does not work
In every Bluetooth marketing campaign people should be aware the campaign is running. Only 2% of people accepts files from unknown source. Usually simple visual sign saying “turn on bluetooth” works and can boost reception rate to 20-40%.
Source: Best Computerz

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Right Place, Right Time - Bluetooth Marketing

Another interesting article find on the approach of Place-based media as a marketing channel;
I’ve recently been working with a venture team that is focused on an interesting and rapidly-growing new communication medium. It is known by many names. I prefer to refer to it as ‘place-based media,’ because it is more appropriate to the overall goal of the medium – i.e., ‘right time, right place’ – but digital ‘out-of-home’ OOH advertising has strong traction as a term, as well.
Place-based media is an interesting medium that is garnering a lot of current attention. In the past year, for example, NBC launched its NBC Everywhere division to chase the opportunity with the division’s general manager, Mark French, commenting that “media has become very fragmented. People are consuming media in a variety of different settings.” NBC’s goal is to be wherever people are ‘consuming’ media. CBS, meanwhile, acquired SignStorey, which had built a network of place-based screens in more than 1,400 grocery stores across the United States, for $71.5 million in cash, and has subsequently rolled it into CBS Outernet.
Why is there so much interest in this space? And why should you, as a marketer, care?
Place-based media presents a unique opportunity for marketers to engage with consumers in a non-aggressive, entertaining and informative fashion. It reaches consumers as they are making decisions relative to specific categories of products and services. It grabs consumers’ attention as a new, interruptive and non-saturated communication channel. And it offers precision of category, subject-matter and geographical targeting that is often not available via other mediums.
Sounds like the holy grail of marketing, right?
As with any new medium, place-based media has its plusses and minuses. Next week are some thoughts and guidelines on understanding this space and on engaging place-based media as part of your next marketing campaign …
Source: Propelling Brands, Adam Needles
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Bluetooth Marketing Growing in the US

The digital marketing industry is growing rapidly and the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery are taking advantage of its momentum. The museums are launching a marketing campaign using Bluetooth technology for the opening of “Garden and Cosmos: The Royal Paintings of Jodhpur,” Oct. 11 through Jan. 4, 2009, at the Sackler Gallery.
Already a phenomenon in Europe and Asia, and now launching in cities across the United States, this new medium of advertising prompts Bluetooth phone users to opt-in to receive a free downloadable message. Clear Channel Outdoor and Qwikker, the leading providers of location-based mobile content distribution infrastructure, are offering this mode of advertising.
Bluetooth-enabled bus shelters, located in Washington, D.C.’s major pedestrian areas, will deploy a silent prompt to mobile users with Bluetooth within a 30-foot radius.
The galleries will be able to target new and younger audiences through this innovative medium of advertising. A message from the Smithsonian will appear on pedestrians’ mobile screens, and those who accept the message will receive a detail of the bus shelter advertisement and a message urging them to visit the featured exhibition, “Garden and Cosmos.”
This advertisement magnifies the eyes of a Nath Yogi from the exhibition and gives users the opportunity to use the artwork as wallpaper for their mobile devices. — http://www.newsdesk.si.edu/
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Consumer Acceptance of Mobile Advertising

We came across this relevant article on consumer acceptance for mobile advertising;
In Strategy Analytics’ consumer tests with 32 UK mobile phone users, almost two-thirds of respondents would accept some form of mobile advertising as long as the system is convenient to use, their personal details are secure, the advertising is relevant, and there is some incentive to participate. Advertiser supported content, mobile coupons and Mobizines are the most appealing of the ten advertising approaches evaluated by these respondents.
Source: Strategy Analytics

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Why should I care about Bluetooth Marketing?

> Being present at the ‘first moment of truth’: I recently attended a session where P&G presented on ethnography in shopper marketing. What was intriguing is their description and conceptualisation of this idea of the first moment of truth – i.e., the point in the store when a branded product either gets chosen by a consumer (going in that consumer’s shopping cart) or gets left on the shelf. What is interesting about place-based media is the potential – as a marketer – to be there at a consumer’s first moment of truth. And this is not limited to retail. It could mean reaching a consumer in a doctor’s waiting area as (s)he is considering a course of medical treatment; it also could mean connecting with a business leader in an elevator on the way to an important meeting with information that shapes his/her next decision. The key is being there – at the right place, right time. Bluetooth Marketing/Place-based media provides that unique advantage.

> Placing your brand in context: Closely related to the last point is the adjacent opportunity to ensure that your product or service is presented in the context of content that helps a consumer make a smarter decision. Good place-based media has good content, and that content can frame decision making. It also can help associate your brand with providing information that is informative and entertaining. Either way, it is the contextual alignment that supports your brand message and image.

> Delivering consumer-marketing focus: The final point, which I won’t elaborate on as it is pretty obvious, is that by being in the right place, right time and by knowing who a network is targeting, you get a resultant level of consumer-marketing focus that is pretty impressive.
Source: Propelling Brands, Adam Needles

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How is the Bluetooth Marketing landscape organised?

There are many ways to break down the landscape for Bluetooth Marketing/place-based media companies, but perhaps the best way – i.e., the way that is most valuable as a marketer – is to look at the specific settings that are being targeted. While place-based media networks are becoming more and more specific in their focus each day, it’s possible to group them into a few macro categories. Below are some of these categories with examples of network providers targeting each of these settings. (Note that this is not, by any means, meant to be an exhaustive list of place-based media network providers – just a sample.)
Bars/cinemas/entertainmentCorporate/financial office buildingsHealth/medical/wellness venuesRetailTransportation venues
Next time we will look at why we should care about Bluetooth Marketing
Source: Propelling Brands, Adam Needles
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Bluetooth Marketing - Right Place, Right Time

Bluetooth Marketing and/or Place-based media engages with ‘captive’ audiences – standing in an elevator, sitting in a lobby, moving through a check-out line, walking through an airport terminal, etc. Place-based media provides consumers with valuable, context-based news, information and entertainment … when they have the spare time and interest to engage. Mark French with NBC Everywhere commented at the launch of their network in January of this year: “We only want to be in a space where the audience is captive for a minute-plus.”
Delivery of place-based media often is executed as a digital flat-screen monitor in a public arena that is providing a real-time or looping set of video features, together with news bytes, time and temperature, trivia and other context-relevant information, such as building/tenant announcements. Marketers participate and support this media channel via a combination of advertising, contributed content, product placement and/or sponsorship.
The place-based-media segment has grown rapidly over the last two years. Media/advertising industry consultancy PQ Media believes that advertisers spent $1.6 billion on place-based/OOH ad placements in 2007, growing to $3.1 billion by 2011. Meanwhile, place-based media providers have recently formed an industry association – the Out-of-home Video Advertising Bureau (OVAB) – to grow attention for the space, validate the maturity of the channel and to work on pan-industry issues such as establishing audience measurement standards. MediaWeek even launched a separate section on its website to track place-based media news.
Source: Propelling Brands, Adam Needles

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What are the keys to successfully marketing and brand building via Bluetooth Marketing?

> Quality of content: This is a critical piece, and it has often meant the difference between being highly successful or highly un-successful in this medium. “The key for companies will be finding ways to make video relevant to consumers in a variety of settings, said Jimmy Schaeffler, a media analyst with Carmel Group,” noted an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article in January of this year. “’With a captive audience, we want to make sure the content isn’t boring or irrelevant,’ said Dave Titchenal, Principal of emebaVet,” noted an NEC company press release from November 2007.
Much like with traditional media networks, the content carried on a Bluetooth Marketing network must be interesting and entertaining; it must carry high production values and be well written; and – most importantly – it must not be a glorified infomercial. As a marketer, you should ask what content is actually carried on the network you’re planning to advertise on.
> Interactivity of the consumer experience: Bluetooth Marketing is more than just digital billboards, and – in fact – I want to make a point of distinction here. We are not talking about static digital billboards; we are talking about interactive, content-driven media networks. And the point of the targeted and informative content is to engage the consumer, as with both traditional television and Internet marketing. Emerging solutions extend beyond just a digital screen and include Wi-Fi or Bluetooth access to additional information, as well as kiosks that extend the points of interaction with the consumer. A key feature of many networks, including those from Captivate and the WSJ Office Network, is building information. As a marketer, you should ask about the details of how the network you’re advertising on engages with its consumer.
> Non-redundancy with existing marketing communication – i.e., value-add: There is no question that as a marketer it is valuable to tap new media channels as they emerge, but before investing in a place-based media campaign, it’s important to know what you’re getting. Ideally, place-based media gives you a unique opportunity to engage with your customers in a specific place, at a specific moment in time … and ideally at a specific decision point. So place-based media can bring you brand influence at a critical moment. But are you depending on place-based media to do what you’re already doing via other channels? Specifically, is it an attempt at some sort of ‘ill-defined’ awareness campaign? I might think twice. As a marketer, you should ask what strategic role your place-based media campaign plays in your overarching and concerted effort to get consumers’ attention, engage with them and get them to buy!
> Thoughtful metrics: Once you have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish with your place-based media campaign, it’s important to have a clear idea of how you are going to measure its success. The industry is in the process of establishing tracking standards, and Nielsen, a member of OVAB, recently announced a new service for measuring place-based media viewership. The key is to figure out what is ‘success’ for your campaign and establish an effective way to measure against that success.
Source: Propelling Brands, Adam Needles
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How Car Dealers Can Use Bluetooth Technology to Get an Edge on Competitors

Car dealers have a new way to promote their latest models while simultaneously distinguishing themselves in the ultra-competitive consumer market - the cell phone. That’s right, that ubiquitous device that almost everyone owns, already serves many functions besides just talk. Now, through some clever use of Bluetooth technology, car dealers can automatically send videos, coupons, and business cards directly to the cell phones of customers as they walk into the showroom.
Dubbed “Bluetooth Marketing”, the concept is simple. A special Bluetooth server is set up in the showroom, continuously scanning for the presence of Bluetooth enabled mobile devices. When a customer steps into the showroom with a Bluetooth enabled cell phone, the server can detect this and automatically send a prompt to the user, asking if they would like to receive a message from the dealership. This message could be a video brochure, a special offer coupon, an electronic business card, or other multimedia files. If the user responds with a “Yes”, the file is transferred right to their phone. If the user declines, the server remembers this and won’t ask the same user again in the future.
So, aside from the novelty factor, what’s in it for the car dealer? Well, for one thing, it gives them a great opportunity to send customers their contact details, stored as a regular phone book entry in their cell phones. Retailers all know that their customers will more than likely shop at many different locations before making a final decision, so it’s very important that prospective purchasers have the dealer’s full contact details handy when they are ready to buy. What better place to have that than in the buyer’s own cell phone. What’s more, customers can easily pass along this “e-card” via Bluetooth to their friends and family.
Along with contact details, a video of a hot new car model could also be sent, or maybe details of a special financing offer. With a little imagination, car dealers could really connect with their customers in a fun and unique way.
Consumers appreciate the special offers they can receive on their phones, and also the convenience of having contact details right on their phones instead of having to keep track of business cards. And, people can always choose not to participate in these campaigns by just answering No to the prompts.
Best of all, one of the biggest benefits of Bluetooth Markeitng over other, more traditional forms of promotions, is cost. Since all transmissions occur over Bluetooth channels, there are never any fees associated with sending or receiving files. Once the initial equipment is purchased, the campaigns are essentially free to run.
Bluetooth Marketing has already been used very successfully in Europe, and companies in the United States are just starting to realize the potential of this technology. Marketers envision a day when consumers look to their cell phones to do everything from making calls, listening to music, or taking pictures. To that list, they can now add car shopping.
Source: http://for2toxagewzzfcp.blogspot.com/

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Is Bluetooth Proximity Marketing the Next Outdoor Advertising?

As proximity marketing (and bluetooth marketing in particular) is gathering momentum, it seems that more and more businesses are choosing this marketing approach to attract and appeal to a wider audience.

The reason is simple (or it seems simple to me): if you allow the consumers to interact with your message, whatever form that is in, you are giving them a more active role and enticing them to participate in your campaign. This way, the message is easier to get through and, usually, more memorable as well, as the consumer can link your campaign with their own activity in that campaign. This is a much more powerful and memorable event, than a marketing message on its own, no matter how well put together the campaign is.

Adding interactivity into the mix already well designed mobile marketing campaign is guaranteed to make your numbers shoot through the roof.

This is what seems to be a growing trend in India. The film industry there has started to replace their outdoor advertising activities with bluetooth marketing. From the article:

“Film promotion vans and related billboards are being used as vehicles to beam rich-media content - film trailers, reviews, wallpapers and ringtones, that can be received on bluetooth phones. From in-store or at-location bluecasting, still popular with brands retailing at malls, bluetooth promotions have scaled up to push movie content at zero cost for the receiver.

The film promotions are rolled out in three phases to create buzz around the film. In the pre-release period, the production house provides snippets on the movie, after which contests and free tickets are sent. After the film is released, they share reviews and interviews with stars. It is supplemented by blu-fi zones in malls and film billboards.

Tier I and II cities will see a lot of movie promotions through this medium. While India is the fastest growing mobile phone market with 300 million subscribers, handset manufacturers claim 70 per cent of all phones are bluetooth enabled.”

It’s great to see this mobile marketing approach is being picked up so quickly and used so widely in such a fast-growing mobile community, and I’m looking forward to hearing more about such campaigns, and more importantly results from these.
Source: http://www.mobile-marketing-blog.net/

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Bluetooth Marketing Strategy Techniques

Bluetooth technology is at present the current choice for campaigning and marketing. In fact, Bluetooth marketing also known as Proximity advertising has become really popular overseas as the hottest way to get in touch with prospective or existent customers. Bluetooth is a major player in this type of technology, it started in 2003 and all sorts of companies have found it to be incredibly useful. By definition proximity marketing is “the localized wireless distribution of advertising content associated with a particular place. Transmissions can be received by individuals in that location that wish to receive them and have the necessary equipment to do so.” So if you own a cell phone and it’s in the proximity of a marketing program that is “on air,” you would be able to receive the content or advert.
If you are a little less techy and you still don’t understand the process of what is going on here exactly or what all this means for the companies using this technique, let me explain it a little better. Firstly, all of this makes a little more sense if you simplify the word proximity which means; The state, quality, sense, or fact of being near or next; closeness. But lets’ try a little example out so you can really understand the nitty gritty details! Say for instance that your walking through a shopping mall, and you just happened to pass a proximity broadcast station that was on air. If your phone is on, then the broadcast station will in turn “find” your phone. This will grant all the advertisements in the area to reach your cell phone. First and foremost, the broadcast will ask you if you would want to receive this information from the provider. So they are literally asking for your permission, if its okay or if you would rather not receive the message to your phone. If you will, think of it as something like a moving billboard advertisement, except it’s going directly to your cell!
This type of advertising has been used for quite some time now in Europe and other various overseas locations as well. There are thousands of companies already taking full advantage of this type of advertising with many more on the way coming from the United States. Bluetooth proximity marketing is merely the next technological step for businesses to take if they want to really get their business advert out there. This is not only an incredible quick process but also very efficient. I would be surprised if by next year this time there are millions upon millions of people taking advantage of the immense benefits that come from Bluetooth proximity advertising! Are you going to be one of them?
Source: http://www.articopia.com/
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Bluetooth Marketing - More Than Just an Advert?

Bluetooth advertising is becoming more and more popular and fast becoming the most cost effective way of getting the message out. Companies around the world, including a number of major multi nationals, are investing their budget in proximity marketing.
However beaming adverts to prospective customers is only one use for these boxes. These are now being used for a number of other purposes
Recruitment
In the UK, the army and RAF careers are using bluetooth to get the message to their potential recruits. They target an age range that have the best chance of having bluetooth enabled and have huge success rates with it, sending GIF’s to entice people into careers offices.
Police
Major UK police forces are harnessing the power of proximity to get serious messages across. From securing valuables out of sight in cars to serious missing person cases, bluetooth ads can get a message to many people in targeted area very quickly. A box located at the site of an incident can appeal for witnesses and people who come to the same spot again can be contacted straight away.
Councils
Local councils get public service messages to people, again with ease and for no cost. Litter campaigns, clean up after your dog or recycling advice can be sent quickly to peoples phones and get a message out so much quicker than conventional methods.
The world is waking up to the hundreds of uses for proximity advertising. What started off as a simple way to get an advertising point across could end up saving someones life. Whilst their is always a market for these to beam adverts, its clear that soon bluetooth will be used in many diverse ways to maximise its potential.
Source: http://www.ezinearticles.com/

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Royal Marines Bluetooth Marketing Campaign

The UK Royal Marines, as well as most of the U.K. army, navy and air force, are constantly running promotional campaigns in an attempt to approach young people. During my time in the U.K. I have seen a number of their ads on TV, posters in public places such as the Tube (a.k.a. London Underground), and online ads in a number of U.K.-based websites.
Admittedly their campaigns are pretty well designed and are pretty successful in attracting their target audience, which I believe to be young people especially (both male and female). Every ad I have ever watched (some of which I still remember now, a few years later) , was always based around a powerful message and some real content, which is what makes a good ad in the end. Especially, as it comes with a powerful call to action for the recruit to visit the army website!
It comes as little surprise to me then, that the Royal Marines are taking on a mobile marketing approach to their promotional campaigns, so as to approach young people (who use mobiles most) more effectively, and more directly.
Their newest campaign again involves a video, which, however, is now being promoted via a Bluetooth marketing campaign in a number of cinemas (I think around 120) around the UK. The video is being broadcast in cinemas where the newest James Bond film, the Quantum of Solace, is being played, in order to be provided in relevant context, and it’s a good example that combines digital integration, mobile and online (via the website).
The campaign was featured on the Guardian recently:
Mobile video content, which was created by digital agency twentysix, will be made available via Bluetooth in 120 cinemas before and after showings of Quantum of Solace.
The 45-second clip opens with the line “You may have something we are looking for”, and features footage of marines in action. It ends with the strapline “It’s a state of mind”.
Source: http://www.mobile-marketing-blog.net/

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Bluetooth Marketing - an out of home advertising medium

The current global economic environment is full of uncertainties resulting from the turmoil in the credit and financial markets impacting all businesses. Advertising industry is not immune to this phenomenon - rather economic slowdown is likely to have a deeper and prolonged advertising downturn.
However, out-of-home or outdoor advertising, one of the major segments of advertising is bucking the trend with advertising dollars being diverted away from traditional media like newspapers, television and radio. Digital signage, a powerful and promising out-of-home advertising channel, appears to have the chance to resist this downturn in advertising expenditure by offering a dynamic messaging medium with an enhanced message impact.
One of the major growth drivers of digital signage is the advancement in technology which has helped retailers, marketing and entertainment companies, and many other organizations to ‘narrowcast’ dynamic video, graphical and editorial content on hundreds, or even thousands, of digital signage displays located virtually anywhere.
Advancement in technology along with declining input costs is making digital signage a lucrative business proposition for advertisers. Recent advancements in technology such as Bluetooth are helping to increase the attractiveness of the out-of-home advertising medium. And a major emphasis on targeted advertising by information, communications and education industries in North America and Europe is resulting in increased demand for this advertising medium.
Other factors driving growth of the global digital signage market include increased urbanization and growth of retail spaces, flourishing tourism industry, spending more time out of home by people and huge investments in transport infrastructure in the emerging markets.
Source: http://deployeddigitalsignage.com/

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