World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstars may throw a few fake punches, but the organization’s recent one-two marketing punch was real indeed.
At last April’s presentation of WrestleMania 30 in New Orleans, WWE “wanted to do something unique for fans as they visited the WWE event venue. What they ended up doing was to marry on-location exhibits with location aware technology to allow fans to interact specifically with their favorite wrestler,” revealed AppDeveloperMagazine in a recent post.
WWE teamed up with experts at Phunware to create a WWE branded, location-aware mobile app. The app was developed using Phunware engageME location-based mobile tech, as well as Apple’s iBeacon, a bluetooth low-energy indoor positioning system that extends location services to mobile apps.
“One of the most popular on-site displays was the ‘The Undertaker’s Graveyard’ focusing on the Undertaker, one of the WWE most popular and recognizable stars,” the report noted. “Using beacon technology, fans were able to visit the “interactive graveyard” offering faux tombstones that paid tribute to each of the Superstar’s ‘victims.’ As fans neared a tombstone, they could automatically receive ‘Did you know’ facts on their smartphones about the Undertakers’ match with that particular defeated opponent.”
The objectives? To create alerts that enhanced the fan experience and also help WWE achieve the business goal of getting more fans to fully explore the entire roster of WWE offerings at the New Orleans event.
Using WWE’s WrestleMania mobile app coupled with 120 iBeacons positioned throughout the venues, fans had easy access to all the logistical information about the events: ticket sales; venue maps; an indoor wayfinding feature to help fans find the fastest route to points of interest; event guides; opt-in alerts and more.
It’s an interesting look at how location technology is becoming much more than an optional offering, but in fact a brilliant business decision.
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