Bluetooth Marketing – Volume 1
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.