BlueCasting – A Channel That’s Here To Stay

Adoption of bluetooth is now common amongst the British public, with mobile handsets increasingly featuring the technology as standard. But how can advertisers tap into the new technology? Fred Durman, commercial partner at Filter explains advantages of BlueCasting to both companies and consumers alike…

BlueCasting is a proximity marketing system, allowing consumers the chance to download content files onto their mobile handsets via Bluetooth.

All the consumer has to do is come into range of a local BlueCast unit, switch Bluetooth on and accept the invitation to download the content file. Receiving content in this way is free to the consumer.

Local servers can be situated almost anywhere although clearly some locations are more suited for hosting BlueCasting units than others. Maiden UK’s Tranvision sites at mainline London train stations are ideal locations because they combine high footfall and passenger dwell time. Other places which fit this criteria are large shopping malls, sports stadia and airports.

However, the system can equally be used by specialist shops seeking to capture passing trade or nightclubs offering exclusive offers to their clientele. BlueCasting allows venues with high through-traffic to tap into this resource and establish themselves as media vendors, selling the communication channel to brands eager to address the Bluetooth universe.

To the existing media vendor, Bluecasting supplements their core offer, representing both a means of differentiating themselves from the competition and a premium service generating additional revenue. Moreover, in contrast with other forms of outdoor advertising, BlueCasting provides comprehensive metrics. There are obvious applications for market research here both in terms of measuring the footfall at each location and quantifying the effectiveness of the advertising communication by analysing the BlueCasting response rates.

For the advertiser, BlueCasting represents a supremely flexible communication channel: pretty much anything that can be communicated traditionally via television, online or direct marketing can be delivered by BlueCasting. Because mobile vouchers and even barcodes can be sent direct to handsets, Bluecasting allows for the targeted communication of special offers, such as “Show this voucher at checkout for 20% off fresh plaice this Friday.”

In fact, in many ways the closest analogy to BlueCasting in the traditional world of advertising is the promo worker handing out flyers, coupons or product samples, or even the sandwich board man trudging the high street. It is worth pointing out that for the consumer it is as easy, if not easier, to decline a BlueCast communication than it is to dodge someone handing out leaflets. All he or she has to do is turn off Bluetooth or change the setting to ‘undiscoverable.’ Whereas discarded flyers litter the street, rejected BlueCast files are deleted without a trace.

The system records every step of the BlueCasting process from the initial discovery of unique Bluetooth devices to the eventual successful delivery of content. Because of this, and the way the system stores the unique Bluetooth ID of each device that comes into range of a local BlueCast server, content can be tailored specifically for the consumer. A sophisticated consumer profile can be built, recording the user’s download preferences. The system can even be integrated into a wider CRM framework, with consumers receiving rewards automatically for visiting specific locations.

For the consumer Bluecasting is quite simply the fastest form of downloading rich content onto a mobile handset and unlike 3G and GPRS services there are no operator charges. The attraction of fast, free content is clear, and the success of a recent Coldplay campaign showed that consumers are open to receiving content in this way.

Over a two-week campaign for the X&Y album launch at six London stations 87,000 unique handsets were ‘discovered’ and 13,000 people then opted-in to receive the material. This represents a response rate near to 15 per cent – extremely high when compared with more traditional forms of advertising.

At present BlueCasting is used as a means for sending marketing material in the form of video clips, media and image files. However, as the number of both Bluetooth enabled handsets and BlueCasting servers increases so will the potential for other applications. Technology enhancements enabling a genuine 1-1 dialogue between brand and consumer, Voice over IP and premium BlueCasting club services are all in the development path.

The addition of E-commerce solutions to enable retail sales via BlueCasting will transform outdoor media into retail channels. This allows commuters to sign up for the cut-price travel offer on the way home from work and for teenagers to buy the latest Crazy Frog video ringtones while hanging out at the local shopping mall.

Instant purchases direct from poster sites: is there a better form of direct response?