Even as mobile marketing is in its early days, companies seem to be quick to try new technologies and techniques. Bluetooth connectivity, which is becoming a popular feature on mobile phones, seems to be the latest way to connect with your target consumers.
There are many significant uses of Bluetooth marketing, as experts see this new promotional gateway as an impactful, trusted and niche location centric communication practice. Restaurants, shopping malls, hospitals, cinema multiplexes or any other public place, which require some public communication can look at the Bluetooth technology as a gateway of their communications.
Today most of the mobile handsets are coming with Bluetooth functionality and affordability of Bluetooth enabled handsets has also become much better. Gagan Chadha, CEO of ValueFirst Connect says, ?This transition is due to the fact that Bluetooth chip which used to cost around four to five dollars some 12 months back now comes for about half a dollar.? So with this market shift, a mobile handset of Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 is coming along with Bluetooth features.
Vishal Singhal, vice-president, marketing of CellStrat says, ?The biggest driver of this technology is its simplicity and penetration. According to a market study by CellStrat, every week 13 million handsets with Bluetooth functionality are sold in the Indian market. As a potential of Bluetooth marketing this is a huge number to look at.?
Singhal also highlights that people do not mind getting any information from this mode of communication.
In terms of actual hands-on usage of this Bluetooth advertising, Singhal informs that Fortis Hospital, Chandigarh ran a Bluetooth advertising campaign at their location. ?It was a successful campaign in which we saw around 250 Bluetooth downloads in four to five hours of campaign,?he says.
As of now, the cost of Bluetooth transmission device requires a hefty investment in order to acquire that device. But usually this marketing is being performed on a campaign basis.
Chadha of ValueFirst Connect further emphasises on the potential of this market by adding, ?Bluetooth marketing is making sense in outdoor advertising arena as it catches the eyeballs of people on a complete permission based communication. Apart from this, there is no variable cost involved in this form of advertising.?
In a recent Bluetooth marketing campaign conducted by ValueFirst Connect for a leading fashion and life style event, around 1,000 Bluetooth enabled handsets were detected and 400 downloads were also seen. Chadha says, ?We did several campaigns and found good results in terms of user acceptance. Mobile users of India are savvier than anywhere else in the world and they want to evaluate newer and handy methodologies of communications.?
There are many interesting uses of this technology. For example in the tourism space, this tool could be used as a gateway of communicating information related to any historic monument, tourist spot or articles showcased in any exhibition or museum.
The way this marketing practice is getting accepted by the users and advertisers, experts claim a very vibrant and dynamic market ahead for Bluetooth marketing. ?I see this trend catching up very effectively in the Indian market. Considering the overall market shift, I believe that in next couple of years Bluetooth marketing will be a substantial part of outdoor marketing,? Chadha highlights.
Bluetooth technology taps only those users who are present in that specific location and trigger them by sending communications material for potential business at a nearby location. According to marketing experts, average response time expected in emails is 48 hours. This ratio in the mobile marketing is as low as five minutes.
Economic downturn has seen consumers watch their spend on communications more minutely. As they try to shrink their monthly expenditure and advertising budgets, advertisers seem to be working on reaching out to consumers in the vicinity. If mobile phone is the preferred mode of communications, Bluetooth could be a cost effective way of reaching them.
The writer is Editor (Technology), Small Business India
