Retailer offers set for TagBeacon activation in Eastleigh
Posted by
A South Coast shopping centre has become first in the UK to use the revolutionary Beacon technology that enables retailers to acknowledge customers’ presence and deliver targeted ads.
The roll out of the technology – popularised by Apples’ iBeacon version in the US – in The Swan Centrin Eastleigh allows shoppers inside the centre to receive discount offers from retailers straight to their phones – without having to open an app or browse a website.
The service has been developed by Brighton-based tech startup TagPoints. Using Beacon technology, the company has incorporated its unique ‘TagBeacons’ platform into The Swan Centre’s popular white-labelled ‘SmartRewards’ app.
Beacons are low energy blue tooth devices that ‘ping’ a location message to smart phones, allowing consumers who have downloaded a retailer’s app to receive location-based content and advertising.
Along with a welcome message, customers entering the centre receive 10 points to their loyalty account (which can be used in conjunction with merchant discount offers). As more TagBeacons are installed throughout the centre, they will receive retailer-specific promotions. The frequency and targeting of these messages with be carefully controlled to ensure no single customer is bombarded with messages. The focus is on delivering a relevant message to the consumer while boosting merchant sales.
The TagBeacon solution also helps shopping centres and their clients accurately measure footfall figures in real-time.
How TagBeacons works:
(1) users download and install the white-labelled ‘SmartRewards’ app and turn on their phone’s Bluetooth connection
(2) upon entering the shopping centre, low energy transmitters detect the customer’s presence. The Beacons have a maximum range of 50m and allow advertisers to locate a user within a few feet.
(3) customers receive loyalty points and targeted sales and promotions alerts as they travel through the centre, based on their physical location within building
(4) TagBeacons can also be used for non-promotional activity like way-finding and customer service.
(5) Beacon technology was first introduced in Apple’s recent iOS7 update – both Android phones are compatible with the system.
