ActiveMedia Brings Mobile Marketing Via Bluetooth To India

ActiveMedia has introduced a mobile solution to enable companies to market their products via Bluetooth, better known as Bluecasting. A pilot campaign was launched with Passion: My Cup of Tea, a cafe in Delhi. Point of purchase advertising (outside) urged consumers to switch their mobile phone bluetooth on, and they received a ‘buy one get on free’ coupon for ice tea, which they could flash to get a complimentary beverage. The Bluecasting was done within a range of 70m, and in four hours, 40 coupon were downloaded and 12 redeemed.
Bluecasting had raised some concerns in Britain last year because of unsolicited messages to download content since most people in Britain keep their Bluetooth on. In India, people tend to keep their Bluetooth switched off because there’s always a virus somewhere broadcasting itself for installation from someones phone. Hence, in India, Bluetooth marketing automatically becomes an opt-in solution, as was the case with the test launch that ActiveMedia did:
Now, where can there be a problem? If someone in the vicinity has a phone with a virus being force-broadcast, there is every possiblity that the consumer can get confused and also accept the offer to download and install the virus, thinking that it is the promotional offer.
Secondly, Blucasting is done within a small range, and is opt-in, so one can’t really expect huge numbers. However, having consumers opt-in means a greater degree of involvement than push marketing; now they have to figure out a way of getting consumers to opt-in, probably by sales promotion.
Related:
- Mobile Advertising Provider In India A Good Idea – Business 2.0
CII Marketing Summit ’06: OnMobile Eyes Mobile Advertising Space
From Moconews.net:
Exuberance Will Lead To Regulation
“Download and Go” Arrives at f.y.e Stores
C4 Pushes Online Channel with Bluetooth Download Campaign
Student TV Network Tests Opt-In Bluetooth Marketing

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