by Chilldor

Recently I came across an article in Red Herring about risks of walking and texting.
What was done to remedy it? British directory assistance company, 118118 wrapped the lampposts with cushions so people not looking ahead would not get hurt when hitting posts. Incidentally cushions had big 118118 logos printed on them!

Following Youtube video shows this humourously albeit without logos:

by Martin Koppel

Some time ago i introduced a new device Bluepod Media had developed and talked a little about bluetooth marketing. I might have been a little too untimely with conclusions. So i decided to invest some time and find out useful things about bluetooth marketing.

First what is bluetooth?
Bluetooth is an industrial specification for wireless personal area networks. Bluetooth provides a way to connect and exchange information between devices such as mobile phones, laptops, PCs, printers, digital cameras, and video game consoles over a secure, globally unlicensed short-range radio frequency.

Bluetooth also said as Proximity marketing is the localized wireless distribution of advertising content associated with a particular place. The process of Bluetooth based proximity marketing involves setting up Bluetooth broadcasting equipment at a particular location and then sending information which can be text, images, audio or video to Bluetooth enabled devices within range of the broadcast server.

It used to be that due to security fears or a desire to save battery life many users kept their Bluetooth devices disabled. To overcome this problems marketers have combined bluetooth marketing with advising via traditional media - such as posters, television screens or field marketing - suggesting people to enable their Bluetooth handsets in order to receive free content.

Nowadays mobile phones seem to have usually bluetooth switched on by default. Many other devices like car kits and handsets are usually bridged over bluetooth, so users now leave bluetooth switched on for easy connection. How effective bluetooth marketing will become time will tell. The following video describes the possibilities that bluetooth marketing offers.

by Martin Koppel

I read from UTalkMarketing that a company called Bluepod Media has developed hardware which can communicate with Bluetooth enabled handsets over a radius of 100 metres.

They are saying that this device is going to fly mobile marketing to the whole new level. The company is stressing the necessity of this device with facts like:

* There are now more Bluetooth-enabled handsets worldwide than there are PC-s
* The use of bluetooth is extremely high amongst teenagers who advertisers find traditionally hard to reach (37 per cent of all UK teenagers are regular users)
* Bluetooth content is the most popular form of mobile advertising
* It operates on pay-per-download model

But this is just a beginning imagine with few years from now we can get personal offers and pay via bluetooth.
You are going to cinema and you don’t have to pay for the ticket, you’ll be charged via bluetooth. But wait while you are watching Harry Potter you’ll be sent everything related with Harry Potter. Also you’ll get information about upcoming movies by categories you have previously chosen. When the movie has ended you are walking by the newspaper-booth and you’ll get all the hot topics you are monitoring via bluetooth. It’s like google alert on your mobile. These are only small things that came in my mind, wouldn’t it be great?

Well i see some disadvantages as well. This may get really disturbing, if i want to be alone i’ll switch bluetooth off. Actually i would like to know how much bluetooth-enabled devices have bluetooth enabled all the time- in cinema, walking by newspaper-booth, watching football etc. I’m afraid that the number isn’t so large since blutooth is eating battery, there are some securitity risks etc. It seems that this device is great for seducing marketing people, but there still remains a question does the message get through, how wide is the target group etc. In my opinion it isn’t the best channel to market something but the time will tell us am i right.