Lowdown: Proximity beacons

This article sets out the basic features and benefits of 'proximity beacons' - low-cost transmitters which use Bluetooth to provide location targeted communications in stores.

Lowdown: Proximity beacons

Nick Hirstadam&eveDDB

Proximity beacons have been in the news since the end of last year, when people started writing about Apple's iBeacon, then in development. Since then, competition has appeared and trials have flourished. So now's the time to take a closer look.

Proximity beacons are small, low-cost transmitters/receivers. They use a low-energy implementation of Bluetooth 4.0, which means the devices can be placed almost anywhere, with no need for mains power, for a couple of years. Their range varies between 100 and 200 feet.

iBeacon technology is Apple's, but it doesn't sell the hardware. This...

Not a subscriber?

Schedule your live demo with our team today

WARC helps you to plan, create and deliver more effective marketing

  • Prove your case and back-up your idea

  • Get expert guidance on strategic challenges

  • Tackle current and emerging marketing themes

We’re long-term subscribers to WARC and it’s a tool we use extensively. We use it to source case studies and best practice for the purposes of internal training, as well as for putting persuasive cases to clients. In compiling a recent case for long-term, sustained investment in brand, we were able to support key marketing principles with numerous case studies sourced from WARC. It helped bring what could have been a relatively dry deck to life with recognisable brand successes from across a broad number of categories. It’s incredibly efficient to have such a wealth of insight in one place.

Insights Team
Bray Leino

You’re in good company

We work with 80% of Forbes' most valuable brands* and 80% of the world's top top-of-the-class agencies.

* Top 10 brands