Digitonic Launches Geolocation Marketing System For Retailers

Mobile marketing agency Digitonic has created a new handset-based service that retailers can use to entice passing customers to come into their establishments. The technology pings potential customers’ iPhones and Android handsets with messages about new product, offers and services as soon as they wander in the vicinity of a shop.

Using geolocation technology, Digitonic’s technology can detect a user within 200 metres and send their handset some vouchers, videos and games. These tactics are already being used to beckon punters into Coral bookmakers, Blockbuster video rental stores, and consumer lifestyle direct marketing provider DLG.

SMS marketing

The technology could be used to send enticing offers to customers about to enter a competitor’s premises, argued Iain Wilcox, marketing director and co-founder of Glasgow-based Digitonic. Customers have to actively opt-in via a business’s app to agree to receive the messages, which would prevent marketing of unwanted products and services.

“There’s massive potential in businesses being able to send incredibly targeted and relevant content to customers using this technology,” said Wilcox. “The beauty is it allows them to engage directly with existing customers via the handset and then in-store.”

As mobile blurs the lines between online and the high street, this is a powerful tool to drive targeted footfall into high street chains, he said.

“We’re taking the rich media content abilities we developed for SMS and using them in another very immediate, personalised and powerful way. Businesses can then access very detailed information about the impact on sales.

Digitonic claimed a recent rich media text campaign for a client delivered more than 5,700 customers, which resulted in £1.1 million of online mobile customer activity.