Our Blog: where do you stand?

BlueCasting: Proximity Marketing. Really!

By: Ryan Saale | 07/22/2008

A rather benign conversation last week with a friend in
Argentina quickly turned into a heated discussion when she began explaining her newly chosen profession as a "BlueCaster." Not familiar? Don't feel bad, neither was I.

She explained BlueCasting as a proximity marketing technology that uses WiFi signals and Bluetooth enabled devices to transmit advertising messages. In a real-life setting this translates to billboards and adverts beaming messages to passing Bluetooth devices such as your mobile phone. This all means that advertising is about to get much harder to ignore. But that may not be a bad thing, in fact, it just may be what consumers want – the ability to accept advertising that is relevant to them on their terms.

My first reaction to learning about this technology was how intrusive BlueCasting sounds and it is, but my friend quickly calmed those fears by explaining the simple solution – just turn off your Bluetooth.

Time will tell if BlueCasting is relevant to consumers. If marketers can deliver exclusive or valuable content, I believe it will work. If not, it may become another annoyance in our hyper-connected lives. In the meantime, I fully intend to support my friend, albeit cautiously, in her new endeavor as a "BlueCaster." However, this all may change on my next trip to visit her should my mobile be inundated with her handiwork.

Posted in Strategic Public Relations, Where We Stand, Public Relations