On Monday, AT&T Advanced Ad Solutions – a group within AT&T Advertising Solutions that sells digital marketing to large advertisers – and Placecast announced a new agreement to provide ShopAlerts by AT&T.
ShopAlerts are “special offers” delivered to consumers over their mobile phones when they are near a participating store or brand.
Initially, this location-based mobile messaging service will be available for AT&T customers in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco, but only for users who have opted-in to receive such messages. Making the magic happen, AT&T is facilitating what’s being called a “geo-fence” – a virtual-perimeter around a retail location, event, or any geographic area – in order to deliver appropriate location-specific messages. Participating consumers receive relevant marketing messages when they are inside a geo-fence, benefiting both consumers and marketers.
According to AT&T, this announcement also makes AT&T the first US mobile carrier to offer a large-scale, location-based mobile marketing program to consumers and advertisers.
Both Playcast and AT&T contend that ShopAlerts will provide consumers with “valuable offers, rewards, and coupons based on their specific geographic location.” The messages are enhanced with information such as weather, traffic, and local shopping area details. ShopAlerts by AT&T service will include such major brand name participants as HP, Kmart, JetBlue, SC Johnson, Kibbles ‘n Bits, and Nature’s Recipe.
“We are proud to take mobile marketing into the future with this unique offering that is being embraced by consumers and brands alike,” said Greg McCastle, senior vice president of AT&T Advanced Ad Solutions. “ShopAlerts by AT&T enables brands/advertisers to help link consumer engagement with activation and ultimately to the point of sale.”