Chinese chain store operator Cyber Group has launched a joint venture with beacon platform provider Sensoro to roll out Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons across Japan and the Greater China region... More
Marketing
Elle launches BLE beacon offers across the US
Women’s fashion magazine Elle has launched a promotion across the US that makes use of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons and geofence technology to trigger exclusive content and offers in a shopper’s smartphone when they are within range of a participating store partner... More
SmarTone unveils Kiss mobile marketing platform with NFC payments and Bluetooth beacons
Hong Kong mobile network operator SmarTone has unveiled Kissco, an end-to-end mobile marketing platform incorporating Kiss Pay, a mobile payments service based on NFC and ultrasound technology, a Kiss Dollars loyalty program and Kiss Beacons to allow retailers to send out offers and promotions directly to customers’ smartphones from their stores... More
Target tests Bluetooth beacons in 50 US stores
US retail giant Target has begun testing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons in 50 stores nationwide to send deals and recommendations on nearby products directly to a shopper’s smartphone running the retailer’s iOS mobile app... More
Evercoss to pre-install mobile wallet on handsets
Indonesia’s largest smartphone and tablet manufacturer is to pre-install a mobile wallet on up to three million of its mobile devices annually, allowing users to make QR code-based in-store payments, online payments and P2P funds transfers using a platform supplied by mobile wallet provider Cellum... More
Alibaba and Ant Financial invest nearly $1bn in Koubei mobile commerce platform
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and Alipay parent Ant Financial have each invested RMB3bn (US$483m) into Koubei, a joint venture that will let consumers order and pay for local services in China using their smartphone, “with an initial focus on the food and beverage segment”... More
40 Adelaide venues install beacons
Forty bars and nightclubs across the Australian city of Adelaide have installed Bluetooth beacons to track visitor attendance and push offers to passers-by using a platform provided by startup Little Birdy... More
Jamba Juice and Fishbowl integrate promotions to Android Pay
Jamba Juice and restaurant data analytics provider Fishbowl have worked together to integrate Fishbowl’s Promotion Manager software into Android Pay, allowing guests to “save and use promotions while merchants will be able to process redemptions in real time,” the companies say... More
Tesco puts beacons in 270 London stores
UK supermarket giant Tesco has launched its “biggest trial” of Bluetooth beacon technology to date in partnership with consumer goods company Unilever... More
Residence Inn trials augmented reality
Hotel chain Residence Inn by Marriott is to pilot image recognition and augmented reality technology that will allow guests to scan beverage coasters to access interactive experiences, including games and food and drink suggestions, on their smartphones... More
Facebook expands free Bluetooth beacon program
Facebook is offering free Bluetooth beacons to select businesses across the US that will enable them to send “useful and relevant” information to customers about the places they visit... More
Shazam launches visual recognition marketing platform with global brands
Shazam has launched a visual recognition marketing platform that lets its mobile app users scan Shazam-enabled logos or QR codes placed on images to access custom mobile experiences including interactive content, special offers and the ability to purchase items or share them with others... More
Exterion to roll out beacons across public transport in the UK
Out-of-home media owner Exterion Media UK is to roll out Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons across public transport services in “major cities” in the UK to deliver marketing messages to passengers’ smartphones... More
Beacons land at UK airports to send out offers and rewards
Eight UK airports are to roll out a network of 200 Bluetooth Low Energy beacons that will deliver notifications such as offers and rewards to passengers while they wait for their flights... More
O2 buys out Weve partners and drops mobile payment plans
O2, one of the three UK mobile network operators that formed the mobile commerce joint venture Weve three years ago, has bought out partners EE and Vodafone to operate the brand as a wholly-owned subsidiary — and has confirmed to NFC World that it has abandoned Weve’s mobile payment ambitions... More
Twitter invests in beacon marketer Swirl
Twitter has invested an undisclosed sum in Boston-based proximity marketing specialist Swirl, hinting the social media platform could be looking at using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons to push messages. The social media giant has invested alongside Hearst Ventures, Softbank Capital and others in an $18m series-C round, taking the total raised by Swirl so far to $32m... More
82% of UK marketers unaware of NFC OOH advertising
Only 18% of marketers are aware that out-of-home (OOH) advertising campaigns can make use of NFC and QR codes, survey data from Clear Channel UK reveals, despite them citing ‘innovation’ as one of their top buying considerations when under pressure to find new ways to reach mass audiences. More
Jameson serves up 25,000 NFC stubby holders
Jameson Irish Whiskey is distributing 25,000 NFC bottle holders that allow drinkers to enjoy online content and competitions, to promote its links with an Australian comedy festival. More
Niemann Foods rolls out beacon marketing
Niemann Foods has installed a Bluetooth beacon marketing platform provided by Birdzi in eight of its County Market stores and plans to roll out the solution to all its 45 County Market locations in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri in the coming months... More
Diageo unveils smart whisky bottle with ‘game-changing’ NFC tags
“Smart bottles” that know when they have been opened and then deliver relevant, personalised messages directly to a consumer’s smartphone will be showcased by printed electronics specialist Thinfilm at Mobile World Congress 2015... More