Retail in Asia

In Trends

Globe Telecom and partners to bring Beacon technology to the Philippines

Globe Telecom has joined forces with mobile marketing agency Mobext, and information marketing company In-Store Digital Display International (IDDI) to bring Beacon technology to the Philippines. The move is expected to provide shoppers with unique in-store experiences using mobile devices.

Bela Gupta D’Souza, Globe’s Mobile Advertising Head, said studies have shown that more than 95 percent of transactions worldwide are still made in physical venues, but more than half of consumers visiting these stores have smartphones. "And that number is growing rapidly in the Philippines," she said.

Beacon technology enables retailers to establish one-to-one connections with shoppers in store – as rewards, coupons or product information.

Beacons are a low-cost, battery-friendly hardware device that attach onto a wall or shelf in an aisle. Through the use of a low-energy Bluetooth wireless connection, it can send messages or prompts to smartphone users who are within a 5-inch to 200 feet radius of the device.

"By introducing Beacons in the market, we are confident we can help brands reach target customers in their “last mile” of purchase," D’Souza said.

The partners also hope to build the largest location-based marketing or "point-of-sales" mobile marketing network in the country. With close to 1,000 screens across the country, IDDI will give Beacons extensive footprint in penetrating major retail locations. Mobext, on the other hand, will provide long-term solutions for retailers and brands that want to incorporate Beacons in their marketing.

Globe Digital Advertising is exploring to offer the Beacon technology to some of the partners of IDDI.