Marketing move comes out of the blue Sunday, May 31, 2009 By Cheryl Rickard Kevin O’Connor was working in IT in Australia in 2004 when he first saw Bluetooth marketing in action. At an event at an auditorium, a firm was offering a free drink to punters by sending a free message directly to their mobile phones.
O’Connor saw potential for a business built around the ‘‘innovative, easy-to-use’’ Bluetooth technology, which is built into the vast majority of mobile phones. After working in business training when he returned to Ireland, he launched BlueZone Media a year ago.
The Bluetooth marketing company has two employees and a growing customer base. It offers clients a system to send free ads to mobile phones within a particular area using Bluetooth. It can also offer free internet access via the Bluetooth built into mobile phones.
To create a campaign in a particular location, BlueZone sets up Bluetooth broadcasting equipment that sends information to Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices within an 80metre range.
Messages can be delivered only if owners of the phones opt to accept them, but O’Connor believes that people are receptive to receiving tailored messages.
‘‘Mobile phones are personal to us - I know if I left my phone at home, I’d feel lost without it,” he said. ‘‘So when I am given the opportunity to receive a special offer from a brand I am familiar with, or a coach company I am travelling with, I ’m likely to opt in and receive it.”
BlueZone’s customers include travel companies, restaurants, hotels and nightclubs. O’Connor said that Bluetooth marketing allowed clients to change their marketing messages regularly, while the free internet access facility was also an attractive feature.
O’Connor was born in London to Irish parents, and moved to Ireland in 1994. He has a degree in physics and started his career as a laser systems engineer before moving to Australia. He said that he had ‘‘always had an interest in innovative technology, and cutting edge business-to-business and business-to-consumer solutions’’.
When setting up BlueZone, he used new technologies such as search engine optimisation and networking sites to investigate the awareness of Bluetooth advertising. He found there had been good progress with the systems, in Britain and Australia in particular.
‘‘Looking at Google trends, I could see a trend in terms related to proximity marketing,” he said. ‘‘While the search volume was low, it was increasing.”
O’Connor’s main initial concern was that some marketing companies were not even aware that Bluetooth marketing existed, but awareness has been increasing and he is optimistic about the future.
O’Connor now hopes to launch a BlueZone On Board service, which will offer Bluetooth internet on trains, buses and planes. Another plan in the pipeline is the roll-out of BlueZone In Side, offering Bluetooth internet in cafes, bars and restaurants.
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