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blog
Only 8% of retailers use beacons today according to Forrester Research. But this untapped technology has massive potential to drive meaningful engagement. So what are they and why should you care?
Beacons are palm-size gadgets that can send digital messages to smartphones through Bluetooth or via apps. At home in airports, restaurants, stadiums and resorts, digital beacons are an intelligent messaging technology.
1. Beacon usage is booming Apple launched its iBeacon in 2013, setting the groundwork for location-based marketing. There are currently 8.2 million active beacons worldwide, with this number expected to grow to 500 million by 2021 according to ABI Research. 2. Uses for mobile beacons are growing Sports fans and travellers are prime customers for beacon technology. Unlike in retail where customers may not take out their smartphones, stadiums, airports and smart cities are natural encouragers of mobile use. Meanwhile restaurants are adopting the technology to let consumers order ahead, to offer tailored coupons or to notify customers of special offers. Find out more about using location-based triggers to drive restaurant footfall. 3. Software is simplifying beacon technology Software used to manage and set up beacons is becoming more sophisticated, making the technology more cost effective. There’s no need to plaster walls and ceilings with the devices when you have a multichannel messaging platform from which to distribute notifications. Want to get started with location-based triggers? Discover Eagle Eye Engage for distributing digital messages across multiple channels without the need for beacon devices.
Whether Amazon, Uber or Alibaba, there's a lot written about these digital-only players and the impact they're having on the traditional high-street and more traditional businesses. But maybe they're missing the real challenge - customers just don't want what you sell. Or more specifically, how you sell it. You can argue about tax advantages, skirting existing regulations or the perceived benefit of not being tied to an existing estate of bricks and mortar stores. However, the real advantage these digital businesses have is simply a focus on the customer rather than the product.
Retailers understand that loyalty programs are crucial to their success, not only in terms of generating incremental purchases but for better understanding their customer behaviors, preferences and motivations. But what makes a loyalty program effective? Are there key pillars retailers must embrace to get loyalty right? And what happens when consumers – and the retail landscape itself – starts to evolve?
Marks & Spencer has just announced an exclusive joint venture UK partnership with startup accelerator Founders Factory to develop emerging retail technologies. The news follows barely a month after forging a partnership with Microsoft to integrate AI technologies into its customer experience, stores and wider operations, as highlighted by Eagle Eye CEO Tim Mason last month.