As more retailers around the globe deploy beacons, we end up with a network of physical places, each with its own digital bookmark. Knowing this digital footprint of locations empowers publishers to understand how an opted-in audience navigates through the world. The end goal is audience understanding, curated over time, to improve mobile advertising and to build more relevant mobile products.
Could beacons, the type of hardware that transmits Bluetooth signals, become a revenue-generating force for media companies as soon as next year? Some experts think so, accelerating a forecast from media analyst Gordon Borrell that the retail industry technology would be among the top local advertising trends in the next decade. Erica Sweeney talks with industry experts who outline the opportunities for media companies to be involved.
