Leading retailers Nordstrom, kate spade new york, AT&T and T-Mobile USA are using location-based advertising in the Point Inside shopping center application.

The retailers are using Point Inside’s Indoor Mobile Ad Platform to spread the word about events and other promotions directly to shoppers based on their location. The promotions are pull-based, meaning the consumer initiates the query to view the ad based on interest in a particular store or brand.

“Through our dealers and corporate retail stores, T-Mobile has a significant mall presence and we think Point Inside provides us a great opportunity to drive more foot traffic to our stores,” said Geoff Walker, director of guerrilla marketing, market development and retail events at T-Mobile USA, Seattle.

Point Inside is a shopping center mapping and navigation application for Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android-based devices. It provides consumers with an interactive directory of shopping mall interiors, level by level and lists stores, kiosks, restrooms, elevators, ATMs, parking lots and play areas.

Reaching shoppers
The application is available on Motorola’s Droid, Google’s Nexus One, T-Mobile’s myTouch 3G, T-Mobile’s G1, Sprint’s HTC Hero, iPhone and iPod touch. It features maps of malls such as the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN, Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas and Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, NY.

The Indoor Mobile Ad Platform was designed to let retailers benefit from targeted, location-based advertising and for consumers to easily get information while they are in the act of shopping.

From Feb. 11-15, kate spade new york ran a promotion for its outlet stores. The message consumers received read “Enjoy 40 percent off your entire purchase at our outlet shops. Show this offer in-store to receive an additional 10 percent off.”

AT&T is using Point Inside to spread the word to consumers about its latest service plans and phones for sale.

Current store specific promotions include one for AT&T unlimited plans for $69.99. The promotion started Feb. 9 and ends March 6. Promotion text reads “AT&T introduces Unlimited Calling Nationwide only $69.99. Additional charges apply, see store for details.”

Nordstrom holds 900-plus events and promotions in its 112 stores across the country each month. The retailer uses Point Inside to pinpoint specific events for each mall, in addition to advertising company-wide sales.

Nordstrom just finished advertising for their half yearly sale. Store specific promotions include one for St. John Spring 2010 Fashion Weeks that started Feb. 14 and last until Feb. 28.

The copy for that promotion reads “View the latest St. John Spring 2010 Collection and receive an exclusive St. John Wristlet with any $1000 St. John regular price purchase made between Feb. 14-27. One per customer, while supplies last.”

Nordstrom is also running a promotion for a MAC make-up color collection starting Feb. 19-21.

The ad reads “Join us for the latest MAC color collection, Spring Colour Forecast. Pick the mood, decide on a demeanor, then mix it up for a fervent flash of authentic emotion. Spring Colour Forecast centers on four specific stories: Coral, Pink/Lavender, Yellow/Gold and Plum/Burgundy… keep it monochromatic or cross over to the other side.”

T-Mobile is using Point Inside to get the word out about its newest phones for sale. The wireless carrier is promoting the myTouch from Feb. 10 until May 19.

The myTouch ad copy reads “The new T-Mobile myTouch 3G with Google is an Android smartphone available exclusively at T-Mobile. The myTouch now features a 3.5mm headset jack and 288MB of RAM – a vigorous boost over the 192MB in the original. The latest myTouch 3H is one of the first devices to incorporate Swype technology as the default keyboard, providing a faster and easier way to input text. With one continuous finger motion across the screen keyboard, the technology enables users to input more than 50 words per minute.”

Takken’s Shoes, a footwear retailer, is using Point Inside to target on-the-go consumers.

The shoe company’s latest promotion was for a Valentine’s Day sale. It read “Treat your sweetie and save at the Takken’s Shoes Valentine’s Day sale! Save big on all your favorite comfort shoe brands. Dansko, Clarks, Born, Sofft, UGG Australia and more! Mention Point Inside and save an additional 15% on your purchases! Sale runs February 8th-14th.”

“Takken’s Shoes is using Point Inside to reach shoppers in our 24 California mall locations,” said Cris Takken, vice president of operations at Takken’s Shoes, Bakersfield, CA. “We want customers in the malls to be aware of our promotions and the fantastic brands we carry, like UGG.”

Providing ads when ads are wanted
The Point Inside application provides each retailer’s store location on the map of the mall, as well as a store description, hours, link to its Web site and a direct phone number to call.

Kevin Foreman, CEO of Point Inside, Bellevue, WA, said this ad platform is a good way for retailers to reach consumers.

Mr. Foreman said much of a business’ advertising spend is usually wasted on message recipients who are not in a position to conveniently act on the promotion. 

Point Inside lets retailers target consumers who are literally 100 yards of stores.

“For the first time retailers can precisely target events and promotions to people who are in the mall and ready to shop,” Mr. Foreman said.

“Additionally, since all ads are pull-based, individuals viewing the events and promotions are preselecting themselves to be interested in that brand or retailer, further increasing the likelihood of active and immediate response to the promotion,” he said. “Consumers want their phones to provide them access to all of mankind’s cumulative knowledge filtered for personal relevance.

“The world’s first indoor location-based ad platform brings that vision one step closer.”