Brought to you as a public service of the Open Spectrum Foundation (Stichting Open Spectrum), Amsterdam - Prague

NEWS

Australia getting a national Bluetooth advertising network

From "Movies get mobile as Hoyts joins BlueZone promo" by Lara Sinclair, The Australian. 27 November:

"Mobile media company Aura Interactive is building a national Bluetooth-enabled network to beam advertiser-funded content free to consumers over their mobile phones in key entertainment, retail and commuter precincts.

"Cinema chain Hoyts has joined a number of shopping centres, entertainment locations and outdoor advertising companies to install the BlueZone technology, which will allow consumers with Bluetooth-enabled phones to opt-in to download the content within certain geographic locations.

"Hoyts will activate the content zones in four cinemas in Sydney and Melbourne from December 1, giving people the chance to download a mobile phone voucher for a discounted $10 movie ticket that must be redeemed within a week.

"By March, Aura plans to roll out several hundred BlueZones that could offer third-party information and entertainment services, such as public transport updates, news headlines and advertising offers.

"Aura sales and marketing director Adam Dunne predicted three-quarters of all phones owned by 14 to 35-year-olds would be Bluetooth-enabled by early next year. 'There's a lot of interest from national advertisers who are always looking for innovative ways to engage with their customers,' Mr Dunne said.

"The network is expected to provide a free, time- and location-sensitive alternative to the mobile content networks, such as 3 and NextG, offered by the major telecommunications carriers. 'We see this co-existing (with the other networks),' Mr Dunne said. 'The content will be localised news and information relating to entertainment, travel, mobile games and shopping.'

"Hoyts will use the BlueZones to give customers an incentive to visit its cinemas more often. 'It's a new communication strategy for us, primarily to increase frequency (of purchase) and reward repeat visitation,' Hoyts Corporation head of marketing Anthony Thiessen said. Customers who download and redeem a voucher for a movie ticket will be rewarded with a discount food and drink offer when they move to the confectionery area of the cinema. Customers need to present the offer on their phone to get the discount offer. The offers will only be made via mobiles, allowing Hoyts to compare their effectiveness with other promotional channels.

"Film distributor 20th Century Fox is supplying ring tones, interviews and behind-the-scenes footage from its movies for the trial, which will target the core cinema-going audience of 14 to 25-year-olds...

"The key to mobile content is offering consumers something of value, according to Matt Houltham, from media agency ZenithOptimedia's digital arm, which handles the 20th Century Fox account..."

[Bluetooth - 27 November 2006]