Location-based beacon technology provider Beamo has launched in Cape Town, South Africa, providing contextually relevant information to mobile devices and offering retailers a new avenue of consumer engagement.
Beamo uses beacons – small battery powered sensor devices that wirelessly communicate and transmit data to apps – to allow brands to push content to customers in a number of forms, including advertisements, videos, promotions, product comparisons and special offers.
“It really presents companies in the service industry with the opportunity to build the personal touch customer experience that customers want and that brands have lost over the years,” said Beamo founder Robin Olivier.
“Consumers are constantly bombarded with promotional messages online and offline that they’re muting out. Beacons close this gap and make the relationship between the consumer and the retailer more personal but not in a soft way. And by opting in to the beacon service, consumers are saying yes to receiving promotional and personally relevant information. This high trust relationship sets the scene for a far more profitable and shared value interaction that’s going viral.”
Beamo is banking on the fact companies are looking for more cost effective ways of creating a steady flow of leads and revenue opportunities. It says beacons allow retailers to build personal relationships with customers and cut down on their “spray and pray” promotion initiatives.
The startup also provides consulting, implementations, beacon hardware for sale or lease, white label app development, and its own app for iOS and Android.
Globally, retailers that have installed beacons with an accompanying app are seeing an increase in sales within 48 hours. In the United States (US), retail sales influenced by beacon-triggered messages is set to increase to US$44.4 million next year from US$4.1million this year. Disrupt Africa reported in April on ZAbeacons, another South African startup using beacon technology.
