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Zac Brown Band taps beacons for contextual engagement with concertgoers

In what is reportedly the first beacon proximity program for a major recording artist, the Zac Brown Band sent attendees a message at a recent concert, enhancing the fan experience through contextual content.
 
Through a partnership with Wells Fargo bank and beacon platform inMarket, the program was designed to encourage attendees to show their support for veterans. It is an example of how beacon marketing is stepping outside of retail stores for a wider presence at other physical locations.
 
?For Zac Brown and all musicians with big fanbases, there is a huge opportunity to connect with mobile-first fans in the venue,? said Todd Dipaola, CEO of inMarket. ?In this case, it's a fantastic cause -- Warriors to Summits -- and we're asking folks to pledge their support for our veterans.?

Music and mobile?
Beacons enable marketers to engage with smartphone users at a hyper-local level and deliver more contextually relevant messaging. They have been quickly gaining steam in retail locations over the past couple of years and are now poised to find a place in other physical locations, such as live event venues.
 
Fans attending the Zac Brown Band concert o Sept. 11 at Wrigley Field in Chicago received a beacon message if they have had the ZBB Live app or one of the apps on the inMarket platform on their phone.
 
The message was triggered when fans were exiting the show, with the app reinforcing the message throughout the venue.

 
The message said: "Join ZBB and Wells Fargo by pledging your support for #WarriorStrong."
 
Users who swiped the message saw an interstitial asking them to join the Zac Brown Band and Warriors to Summit by pledging their support of veterans.
 
Beacons extend reach
The use of beacons outside retail locations continues to grow.
 
Recently, New York?s John F. Kennedy International Airport started employing beacon technology in its Terminal 4 with the goal of removing some of the hassle in flying by displaying actual wait times at major queues for travelers (see story). 


Orlando International Airport is also joining the trickle of airports integrating with beacon technology to offer travelers directions to important locations such as ticket counters, baggage claim and gates by teaming up with Aruba Networks to leverage its ?blue dot? GPS navigation and wireless network (see story).
 
Coca-Cola recently leveraged beacon technology in movie theaters in Norway to both target and then retarget smartphone-equipped consumers, with 24 percent clicking to collect a free soda while at the theater (see story). 
 
?Beacons have major potential to enhance the fan experience through contextual engagements delivered at the perfect time and place,? Mr. Dipaola said. ?If the results are anything like we've seen in retail thus far, we can expect both fans and bands to love it.?

Final Take?
Chantal Tode is senior editor on Mobile Marketer, New York