Bluetooth technology works best at events, within a controlled environment, where there are field staff that can help customers to engage with the technology, explains Chris Bourke of Aerodeon, an ad agency specializing in mobile communication. So for B2B marketers, a trade fair or conference is an ideal place to use Bluetooth.
For example, Microsoft used it at its recent Tech:Ed conference in Orlando to deliver daily podcasts on key Microsoft technologies and recaps of conference highlights, mobile wallpapers and discount vouchers to over 2,000 delegates. There were eight bluecast points around the floor inviting visitors to enable their Bluetooth to receive the content. There were very high-levels of opt in with some content achieving a 37% opt in rate. 3,200 devices were discovered and over 2,100 content items were delivered. New media agency Interdirect also used Bluetooth at Internet World, inviting visitors to their stand with the lure of a branded prize draw message to win a day at Champneys. It gave us the chance to cast our net on an automatic basis, says MD, Nicholas Mann.
So, does this count as an intrusion on someone’s personal space? Kate Spencer of DMX, says, As this is a defined area of interaction and location-specific, then it’s not necessarily a problem. The people wandering around a trade show already have an interest, so it’s not so invasive and can’t really be considered bluespamming. It’s a great way to ensure your contact details are stored in someone’s phone for example. She adds, It is a grey area though and it needs to be used properly to be successful. There is room for exploitation it’s a case of not running with pointed knives.
Another area where Bluetooth is particularly relevant to business marketing, is that it generally suits targeting a smaller number of people. Alasdair Scott, chief creative officer of Bluetooth supplier Filter Worldwide, believes that taking a more ‘passive approach is more rewarding than aggressively sending content out. This is not about sheer numbers – especially in the B2B space. For example, it’s much better to get 100 messages to targeted customers in business lounges at an airport who actually want to know about an e-commerce solution, rather than sending 10,000 messages to anyone who happens to be in the terminal, he says. We also use our tracking facilities so we know the interaction history between each customer and the campaign, so we’re able to send different content to each consumer over time.
Keep it snappy
And when it comes to the actual content, the message is, keep it short and snappy. This can be quite challenging for a business brand, says Bourke. Typically, a B2B communication strategy consists of lengthy, in-dept, direct and detailed communications, whereas with Bluetoothing, a shorter, snappy, call-to-action is needed. This is where a B2B marketer needs to get creative – another plus point of using Bluetooth communications, which allows the sender to create and send a range of content including videos and games.
IBM for example, used Bluetooth to provide real-time scores from Wimbledon to businesspeople in the City of London. Workers around the BroadGate Centre, which backs onto Liverpool Street station, were invited to stand on the grass, hug a tree or sit in a giant’s umpire chair to receive live scores from Wimbledon, which were rendered into animations and sent to their handsets via the Bluetooth servers set up by Filter. The service interacted with 40,000 devices and allowed workers in the City to engage with the IBM brand experience, which gave the message of innovation.
Internal communications is another area where Bluetooth technology could be applied successfully. Last year, Adidas held a 5-day global marketing meeting for 1200 people. Bluetooth was used to communicate information about the day such as who the keynote speakers were, what time they were speaking and what they were speaking about, and details such as where the breakout meetings. We asked everyone to turn their Bluetooth on as they were walking into the conference centre, so as soon as they walked through security they got a message, explains Dusan Hamlin, MD of Inside, the agency that put the campaign together. The messages were different according to the time of day, so it added a touch of personalisation too. It worked really well and people were really happy to receive information this way, says Hamlin. And although there were some markets that didn’t have Bluetooth on their phones, because they were asked for their phone numbers when they registered online prior to the event, we could send them SMS’s on the day instead. The great thing about Bluetooth, is that you don’t need a mobile phone signal except in a situation such as this, where you need to pick up on those people and work out how to get the information to them another way, he adds.
Rudely interrupted
So, there are good opportunities for business marketers to utilize Bluetooth as long as the content is relevant and/or entertaining, and in a specific location. Dr Adam Beaumont, MD of AQL, a mobile messaging and telecommunications provider, agrees. He says that in his eight years of experience in mobile marketing, he has found that every form of marketing is found palatable by the end user, as long as the end user has chosen to receive the message and it is relevant to them. Deployed responsibly, bluecasting is a powerful marketing medium. However, it should be limited to non-public space and persons likely to travel through its’ sphere of influence should be made aware that bluecasting is in operation.
So, how can the end user ‘choose’ to receive a Bluetooth message. Nick Fuller, chairman, DMA Mobile Marketing Council suggests ways to avoid the ‘element of surprise’ that recipients may get annoyed about. He says, You can either set up a process by which an individual can physically request the message for example, on a poster, which you can wave your device in front of. Or you can put a notice up on the entrance of an event saying that if you are Bluetooth-enabled, you will receive content. So, Microsoft’s Bluetooth campaign at the Tech:Ed conference employed visible bluecast ‘points’ where recipients would be very much aware of the set-up. And IBM’s campaign asked its audience to actually come and stand or sit or stand in a certain area with their Bluetooth enabled, in order to receive the message.
An unwanted interruption can create a negative brand experience due to the personal relationship a person has with their mobile phone. But even if a brand has got consent, there are still pitfalls. If the technology fails and the message can’t get through, it can be dangerous to the brand, says Bourke. This can create a poor customer experience and give them a less-then-positive view of the brand precisely the outcome you didn’t want.
There’s also the issue of people not really understanding what Bluetooth is, or even how to switch it on. This is a problem there is a real lack of awareness of Bluetooth, how to turn it on and what to do once you switch it on, says Craig Wills, head of strategy at JCDecaux. The mobile phone providers haven’t really pushed the technology, so there’s a real lack of understanding. This may well affect the success of any campaign that doesn’t have help points nearby to show the target audience what they need to do.
Is blue the future?
Bluetooth communications isn’t yet a tried and tested form of marketing, with many brands adopting a ‘wait and see’ attitude. So, is it likely to take off? Norcross says he’s not sure. I was at the Mobile World Congress this year, and only spotted one significant stand offering Bluetooth communications that tells me a considerable amount. He thinks that ‘pairing’, which is an evolution of Bluetooth will be the way of the future. This is the technology that Oyster cards use, whereby you can touch your phone on something to receive content.
I think this will be quite valuable in B2B as it can be used to collect information quickly and easily, he says. It also solves the problems of opting-in. The phones that enable this to work are just coming in now so I think this will take about 24 months to reach critical mass. He also forecasts that Dongles will play a role in the future of mobile marketing communications. They are basically Bluetooth memory sticks, which once plugged in to your computer or laptop, means it can talk to another Bluetooth-enabled device in the area – another cost-effective and quick way to send messages.
The use of Bluetooth communications in marketing seems to be in its infancy, with much potential for the B2B marketer. However, there are many pitfalls to this channel that must not be ignored. Each campaign must be planned carefully the idea is to inform, delight and help the recipient, not to alienate them before you’ve even got your message across.
