Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Marketing Product

Options
  • 28-10-2012 11:51am
    #1
    Shoe in
    Registered Users Posts: 15 ✭


    I'm considering partnering with a business contact to sell a proximity marketing device. Basically the device sends messages/ads to mobile phones within it's proximiy (200 yards). The mobile phone user can decline the message/ad if they wish to, so its not 'spam.'

    An example of how this might work is as follows...A retail store with a deli could send an add with an offer of a roll plus crisps plus a drink for €5.00. They could create a specific offer, and specific epos code to track the results of this campaign.

    The cost to the business owner is approx €800 plus vat.There is no ongoing cost.

    I believe it is a clever method to communicate with potential customers, and cost effective versus other marketing and advertising activities.

    Has anyone any thoughts on this initiative?

    Thanks.
    Shoe in


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    homeless student
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,020 ✭✭✭homeless student


    why wont there be ongoing costs? I think that would be a mistake as your business idea will have a short lifespan, you want to make as much money from it as you can and make it last as long as possible.


  • Options
    #3
    Shoe in
    Registered Users Posts: 15 ✭Shoe in


    homeless student wrote: »
    why wont there be ongoing costs? I think that would be a mistake as your business idea will have a short lifespan, you want to make as much money from it as you can and make it last as long as possible.

    The focus of the partnership is the sale of the hardware device.there may be an option to partner with a design agency to offer advertising design services,but this would be offered as part of the sale process,potentially with an offer of something like '10 free ads designed' as a selling point.


  • Options
    #4
    Axwell
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 10,462 Mod ✭✭✭✭Axwell


    For it not to be considered spam I would have had to give you permission to contact me in the first place, which I havent. You are sending me the message regardless based on my proximity and then giving me the option to decline - thats spam.

    Looking at this on a larger scale, if I was walking around a shopping centre and getting a message every few seconds from multiple stores because I was within 200 yards it would annoy the hell out of me.


  • Options
    #5
    thecommander
    Registered Users Posts: 2,537 ✭✭✭thecommander


    Won't work with iPhones and a lot of Android phones too. They're taking over the handset market so what % of phones will this actually work with?

    And it is spam.


  • Options
    #6
    tricky D
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,700 ✭✭✭tricky D


    Did a user/market test for this type of stuff around 10 years ago for real estate which is(was) a much higher price point. Dunno if it ever made it to market. It was permission-based.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Shoe in
    Registered Users Posts: 15 ✭Shoe in


    thecommander wrote: »
    Won't work with iPhones and a lot of Android phones too. They're taking over the handset market so what % of phones will this actually work with?

    And it is spam.

    This device will work with iPhones-it creates a wi-fi hotspot and sends message by wi-fi.


  • Options
    #8
    RainyDay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,925 ✭✭✭RainyDay


    Shoe in wrote: »
    This device will work with iPhones-it creates a wi-fi hotspot and sends message by wi-fi.

    What app will accept the message?


  • Options
    #9
    riveratom
    Registered Users Posts: 964 ✭✭✭riveratom


    100% spam, if it's not opt-in. You would get shut down pretty quickly doing something like this, regardless of its merits as a business idea.

    Think of something else!


  • Options
    #10
    Shoe in
    Registered Users Posts: 15 ✭Shoe in


    RainyDay wrote: »

    What app will accept the message?

    I'm not the best technically-my partner is better,but as far as I know you do not need an app to receive the ad-it's web based.


  • Options
    #11
    Shoe in
    Registered Users Posts: 15 ✭Shoe in


    riveratom wrote: »
    100% spam, if it's not opt-in. You would get shut down pretty quickly doing something like this, regardless of its merits as a business idea.

    Think of something else!

    Do you believe it's spam if the person can decide to reject the message?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    pippip
    Registered Users Posts: 2,249 ✭✭✭pippip


    This idea is fairly common in London. The issue I had the first time was that I thought it was a phone virus and thus rejected it based on safety.

    Could be fairly annoying but I think your main thing would be to advertise the idea itself through normal marketing methods so people are aware of what it is before trying to send offers.


  • Options
    #13
    RainyDay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,925 ✭✭✭RainyDay


    pippip wrote: »
    This idea is fairly common in London. The issue I had the first time was that I thought it was a phone virus and thus rejected it based on safety.

    Could be fairly annoying but I think your main thing would be to advertise the idea itself through normal marketing methods so people are aware of what it is before trying to send offers.
    I've seen this done via Bluetooth, which seems to be dying a slow death, by comparison to smartphone apps. I wouldn't be investing my own time or money in Bluetooth at the moment.
    Shoe in wrote: »
    I'm not the best technically-my partner is better,but as far as I know you do not need an app to receive the ad-it's web based.
    Honestly, if you've going to invest your time or money in the business, you need get beyond being 'not the best technically'. You don't need to be a web techy, but you need to understand the end user's experience. What exactly happens on the end user's phone? I don't know of any 'web-based' technology that will pop up over an existing browser, based on a wifi signal in the proximity. In fact, I don't know that any smart phone technology that will connect to a previously unknown wifi network, unless the user chooses to search for and connect to the network.

    Get your head around the end user experience, so you can understand how it will (or maybe will not) work for end users. That's the most important thing in deciding whether the product is marketable.


  • Options
    #14
    TsuDhoNimh
    Registered Users Posts: 424 ✭✭TsuDhoNimh


    RainyDay wrote: »
    I've seen this done via Bluetooth, which seems to be dying a slow death..
    If the system did rely on bluetooth, forget about it. It seemed like a logical way to go a few years ago and had some potential then, but that has changed and as RainyDay said is dying away over time.

    I can't remember the last time I've seen someone with bluetooth enabled on a phone unless they were actually using it at the time (e.g. bluetooth headset or the likes). Smartphones are simply too hard on battery to leave it enabled given the extremely limited use it gets.
    RainyDay wrote: »
    What exactly happens on the end user's phone? I don't know of any 'web-based' technology that will pop up over an existing browser, based on a wifi signal in the proximity. In fact, I don't know that any smart phone technology that will connect to a previously unknown wifi network, unless the user chooses to search for and connect to the network.
    When proximity marketing first kicked off it was done via bluetooth in the majority of cases. There were, and continue to be, lots of offerings that do it via wifi too but I'm not sure of the specifics on how it's actually implemented.

    The fact of the matter is that while it prompts users to accept the messages, which legally means (when done correctly) it is permission based and legal, the prompting message itself is viewed by most (if not all) as spam itself. It might not cause a legal problem, but it's similar to sending unsolicited mails to business mail addies... it's not illegal but it's really annoying and doesn't put a business across in a positive light.

    (Just fyi, it's something that in theory I'd be very interested in and would be in a position to suggest it to clients. However, given my limited knowledge and experience to date it's something that I'd never suggest for a client to use. If you can counter my current issues and show how it gets around those concerns you might [I'd be very doubtful, but never say never] be able to change my mind)


  • Options
    #15
    thecommander
    Registered Users Posts: 2,537 ✭✭✭thecommander


    Shoe in wrote: »
    This device will work with iPhones-it creates a wi-fi hotspot and sends message by wi-fi.

    iPhones won't connect to a network automatically by default. Also can't see how it will receive a message by wifi.

    Only thing I can see if that free Wifi is offered and there's a landing page that people have to go thru to connect, with the ads being on it. This has been happening for a long time, no need for 800 euro.

    Bluetooth marketing was the next big thing a few years ago, it's virtually non-existent now, so be warned.

    Best of luck anyway.


  • Options
    #16
    Axwell
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 10,462 Mod ✭✭✭✭Axwell


    Shoe in wrote: »
    Do you believe it's spam if the person can decide to reject the message?

    I posted about this above and its not a matter of what anyone believes - its fact.

    If the person didnt sign up or opt in to receive the messages off you to begin with then its spam regardless of whether you give them the option to reject it or not. You said in your first post its not spam but obviously you dont know the facts around spam, this is spam.

    Also one big risk with bluetooth marketing back in the day was it left peoples phones open to a lot of hacks and mobile phishing. Its died off since and not an option at this stage.


  • Options
    #17
    riveratom
    Registered Users Posts: 964 ✭✭✭riveratom


    Shoe in wrote: »
    Do you believe it's spam if the person can decide to reject the message?

    That's like asking 'if I send you an unsolicited email but you choose to delete it, does that make it spam?'

    Spam is unsolicited / unwanted communication, and in a world that is moving more and more towards customised and opted-in communications via apps and social networking, it means this kind of an idea is completely going in the opposite direction (the wrong direction).

    It's a moot point anyway, as you wouldn't be allowed to operate this service in any case. You would get shut down and possibly fined if you persisted I would say.

    Check out the likes of Local Social - they do the whole app thing where you can download the app and then get pinged when you go into a store and there's a deal, etc.

    I would research that side of things and move towards that direction. Hope that helps.


Advertisement