No check-in Location-based Mobile Marketing
Barcelona, 17th December 2010.- With the rise on location-based mobile marketing in retail, FuturLink technology plays a major role to obtain higher engagement rates than those mobile applications requiring user check-in.
The FuturLink technology placed in the retail environment allows brands to interact with mobile phones in two ways:
- Mobile phones with enabled Bluetooth are automatically detected and are prompted with an opt in/out question to receive rich media content from the brand, assuring complete privacy to users, who remain completely anonymous. Those answering "Yes" receive the content on their phone, which may be a file or a url.
- A call to action display (screen, poster, etc.) prompts the users to access a branded Wi-Fi network where the rich media content is available. This option is specially preferred by smart-phones.
On the other hand, mobile applications such as Foursquare require the users a higher effort to access the content: open the mobile application, find the store on a list and check-in. But having to remember to check-in at each venue is annoying for the users and when they do remember they finally find out that there is no interesting offer for them at that venue. So often the result is that users stop using it soon after installing the application, due to check-in fatigue syndrome. Other users stop using it for social reasons to avoid being considered check-in-obsessed by their friends.
Additionally, some solutions use the GPS data to automatically check-in at preferred venues, but the battery drain is a huge barrier, it only works outdoors and it makes it completely useless for brands if people don't even take their phone out of their pocket to interact with the brand or have absolutely no intention to stop by their venue.
And what's more, the content offered on these applications is basically coupons, whereas the FuturLink technology offers as well other rich media content such as movie trailers, songs, ringtones, mobile games, mobile applications, etc.
The FuturLink Access Points may be installed at stores for their own use or otherwise advertisers may make use of the different existing FuturLink Proximity Marketing networks installed worldwide, such as for example a network of 700+ locations in the USA in cafeterias, bars, restaurants, movie theatres, shopping malls and airports; 250+ FuturLink Access Points in shopping malls in Saudi Arabia; or other networks in Mexico, El Salvador, Czech Republic, etc.
