Beacons & Retailers: How Beacons Are Reshaping Retail Marketing
Today’s consumer landscape is in great flux: changing demographics, big data, and technologies that have altered how and where consumers engage with products and services. Many companies struggle to discover the insights they need to unlock growth. And the good news; now the Beacon technology is simplifying this data collection for these Companies.
Now Retailers can gain all valuable insights by using beacons and can connect directly with each of their customers at right time and right place.
Beacons are Bluetooth powered devices that can interact with a shopper’s personal gadgets at right time and right location. Beacons can help to interact real-time with the shoppers around and in-store, to send 1:1 personalized communication/offers while at the same time collect valuable customer information from their in-store behavior
You walk into your local grocery store and your phone buzzes, but this time it's not a text message, it's a welcome message from the store, delivered through an app you downloaded months ago and likely haven't used since.
Whether it's a simple welcome message, a coupon or a promotion, retailers are increasingly trying to engage customers by communicating with them via their downloaded apps, their location and even their digital shopping lists.
Beacon technology is poised to change the way consumers interact with brands, making devices more helpful and revolutionizing the way retailers measure the offline impact of online ads
Retailers using Beacons can get real-time data about their customers such as;
Retailers can drive in-store traffic by reaching consumers before they decide where to shop and what to buy…in mall entrances and common areas and can;
?Proximity Marketing (deliver personalized & relevant content based on actual location)
?Engage customers at the proper time in the buying cycle?Increase impact of mobile advertising
?Provide new data points and tools for analytics
?Improve customer service with store associate notifications
?Highlight great deals or product info
?Surprise and delight loyal customers with unique offers and surprise gifts
I started working on Beacons technology 2 years back and successfully tested the technology with the largest retailer in the Middle-East and launched with their Loyalty App, which is i believe the first in this region
Beacon technology is already being used by Big Retailers such as Macy's, Walmart, Totals, Costco, MacDonald's, American Eagle Outfitters, not only retail but also by Airports and Airlines, Hotel & Hospitality,Banks and many others
The growing focus on multi-channel marketing in the retail industry is cited as one of the major trends driving the growth of the beacon market, which will influence a whopping $44 billion worth of US retail sales this year, according to a Business Insider report.