Category: Mobile Marketing

Geolocation technology could play a vital role in shopping and security

| June 9, 2014

Location based tech could entirely change the shape of the way that consumers function.

According to the results of the recent Emerging Tech Forum, and the discussions that were held with the executives from three hyper-local mapping startups, the range of applications for geolocation technology are considerable enough that they could entirely change the shape and nature of shopping and security in the not too distant future.

Consumers will be increasingly guided through their shopping experience by their smartphones based on location.

According to TRX Systems vice president, Ben Funk, it may not be too long before a shopper could find him or herself wandering down the aisles of a grocery store and receiving a mobile coupon over a smartphone based on a specific product that was being considered while browsing. The specific position of the shopper within the store could activate a geolocation technology based marketing promotion that is relevant to the products within that consumer’s sight.

The focus of the discussion was on hyper-local geolocation technology and its potential uses.

Geolocation Technology - Mobile Shopping and SecurityAlso present were Todd Marks, the CEO and president of Mindgrub, as moderator, as well as the marketing director of Funk, AirPatrol, Lauren Edwards, and the CEO of viaPlace, Scott Schelle. Each of the companies that participated in this forum focused on different elements of location based tech, including schedules and wayfinding, three dimensional location and mapping within indoor spaces, and finally mobile security based on position, which can offer smartphone disabling functions, among others.

The tech can provide consumers with a range of different potential options based on where they are and how that is detected by their cell phones. It can include everything from being able to find where something is located – such as a store in a mall or a product on a shop’s shelf – to receiving position specific marketing, or even detecting and acting on the unauthorized use of a mobile device or its apps.

Geolocation technology is rapidly growing in its use, particularly as its potential is more greatly understood. At the moment, it remains in its infancy, but its possibilities and cost effectiveness are proving highly appealing to retailers, marketers, and other businesses and industries.

Geolocation technology used by GE Lighting and ByteLight in store

| June 4, 2014

These two companies have come together to make it possible for retailers to engage shoppers with LED.

GE Lighting and ByteLight have announced their next generation use of LED lighting fixtures which will provide retailers with the opportunity to be able to communicate with the smartphones and tablets of consumers while they are in-store, through the use of geolocation technology.

The GE LED infrastructure could give retailers the chance to offer exciting location based services.

This innovative geolocation technology based solution uses the IS series of the Lumination™ LED Luminaire from GE. It will be unveiled in Las Vegas, this week, at the LIGHTFAIR® International 2014 at the company’s booth. The purpose of using the lighting for this reason is, according to GE, one way for retailers to “go beyond the traditional ROI of energy and maintenance savings to fundamentally change the way people shop by combining data with location.”

The indoor geolocation technology from ByteLight is embedded within the LED fixtures from GE.

Those LED lights will then be able to provide retailers with a number of different applications, such as the ability to identify exactly where consumers are located through the use of an opt-in mobile app that is powered by ByteLight.Geolocation Technology - LED

This solution is based on a combination of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Visible Light Communication (VLC), as well as inertial device sensors. It is capable of supporting any smart device – such as smartphones and tablets, and perhaps wearables such as smartwatches, too – that is equipped with Bluetooth® Smart technology and/or a camera. This way, retailers will be able to reach customers within the broadest possible space, such as from the parking lot to any location within the store; anywhere that LED light will shine.

This gives retailers the opportunity to use their GE LED lighting for a continual ROI as they use the geolocation technology (as well as the required lighting of the store, itself) to formulate a strategic platform for the creation of tomorrow’s entirely connected retail shop. This could potentially help to enhance the size of in-store traffic while improving the overall shopping experience for consumers.