Dozens of Kansas City retailers have joined the beacon bandwagon to deliver personalized targeted in-store communications and content to mobile customers in a program that leverages an existing application with a loyal user base.

Using the Findit Video & Loyalty application from FinditKC and Moblico, more than 350 Kansas City-area merchants will gain the ability to identify customers in their stores and deliver personalized targeted communications and content relevant to their demographic profile, transaction history and location within the store.

“Beacons help retailers accurately locate the presence of customers within their stores,” said Pierre Barbeau, co-founder and CEO at Kansas City-based Moblico Solutions LLC.

“Combined with engagement in-app marketing platforms like Moblico, retailers can identify customers and deliver personalized targeted communications and content relevant to their demographic profile, transaction history and their location within the store,” he said.

Loyal users
Initially, 50 retailers will install beacons in their stores followed by a rollout to all participating retailers.

It is the latest example of retailers using Apple’s iBeacons to engage with customers more easily.

FinditKC, a digital media company centered around video, expanded its reach for both consumers and clients by releasing a mobile application called Findit Video & Loyalty earlier this year, which can be found in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

The app allows hundreds of retail clients to reach out to customers in real time. Customers can check in, scan and share to earn points toward rewards. They can also stay in the loop with push notification and text deals.

By connecting the Findit Video & Loyalty app to Moblico’s in-app marketing machine, FinditKC merchants can, in real-time, identify prospective repeat customers and instantly communicate targeted offers based on customers’ demographic profiles and transaction histories.

The Findit Video & Loyalty app focus is to support top local and regional brands. The list includes Gaslight Grill, Piropos Restaurant, Em Chamas Brazilian Grill, Johnny’s Tavern, Mirabile MD, Aestheticare, Element Fitness, 68’s Inside Sports, Overhead Door of Kansas City, Renner Supply, Family Tree Nursery, Locks & Pulls, Safe Harbor Roofing, Oxifresh Carpet Cleaning and 1800-Got-Junk.

Incentives and rewards
The Findit Video & Loyalty app offers customers the ability to check-in at participating retail locations to earn points towards incentives and rewards. In addition, a customer’s location within the store and proximity to the store can trigger instant notifications and special offers to their mobile phone.

While beacons solve an important challenge faced by GPS systems in identifying a customer’s presence indoors, a robust engagement and loyalty in-app marketing platform is required to maximize the potential of the beacon-provided location information and deliver direct one-to-one customer experiences, experts say. Promotion and media support also are needed.

“Beacons can reach people in close proximity and indoors, which enables each specific retail partner in this use case to deliver specific offers for their location,” said Alan Simkowski, vice president, mobile solutions at Chicago-based GMR Marketing.

“Ongoing promotion and media support are areas that need to be addressed and activated to insure success.”

Final Take
Michael Barris is staff reporter with Mobile Commerce Daily, New York.