As an agency that's geared up to usher in the latest in marketing communications, we're seeing an increased demand for bluetooth marketing. Particularly in markets like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where the use of bluetooth by the youth is very popular, we feel that using this technology to market brands, products and services can be very effective. Bluetooth usage to send a advertising or promotional message is usually called 'proximity marketing'.

Once the technology is set up, the cost of delivering a brand message to mobile phones and hand held, blue-tooth enabled devices can be very cost effective. As a matter of fact, transmission costs are minimal, other than set up, and it costs nothing for the consumer – other than a bluetooth enabled device – to recieve a message. And, there are no multiple costs to add to based on per message sent – costs remain the same, regardless of how many people receive the message.

Ideally, a bluetooth 'broadcast' should be integrated with a campaign done across other support mediums such as a Pont of Purchase activity, billboards or signs that support it, or even a word of mouth campaign in a mall for example. Bluetooth marketing allows us to deliver a broad spectrum of content such as images, wallpapers, audio and video files, coupons, maps etc.

At Promoseven we are geared to help your brand develop a full bluetooth driven campaign, from target audience definition, creative, tech set up and delivery management and reporting. Talk to us today about bluetooth.

The wiki on bluetooth: Bluetooth, a short-range wireless system supported by many mobile devices, is one transmission medium used for proximity marketing. The process of Bluetooth based proximity marketing involves setting up Bluetooth "broadcasting" equipment at a particular location and then sending information which can be text, images, audio or video to Bluetooth enabled devices within range of the broadcast server. Other standard data exchange formats such as Vcard can also be used.

It used to be the case that due to security fears, or a desire to save battery life, many users keep their Bluetooth devices in OFF mode, or ON but not set to be 'discoverable'. Because of this, often regions where Bluetooth proximity marketing is in operation it is accompanied by advising via traditional media - such as posters, television screens or field marketing teams - suggesting people make their Bluetooth handsets 'discoverable' in order to receive free content - this is often referred to as a "Call-to-Action." A 'discoverable' Bluetooth device within range of the server is automatically sent a message asking if the user would like to receive the free content.