Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight

This week Target became the latest retailer to integrate beacon technology into the shopping experience, announcing that it will test using low-energy Bluetooth beacons to deliver coupons and special offers to the mobile devices of shoppers when they’re near the product in question.

Target is currently testing the beacon technology at 50 stores in major markets across the country, including New York City, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco and Seattle. The retail giant plans to limit the number of mobile push notifications sent to each device to two per visit, in order to avoid driving shoppers insane....

Beacons are driving mobile coupons and redemption rates are on the rise.

Several new studies are out indicating that the growth of beacons around the world is on the march and that when shoppers get a mobile coupon, offer redemption is right behind, sometimes in fewer than two minutes.

Beacons add a finer touch to location-based offers, since the small radio-transmitting devices can be located near specific products or in certain departments.

Brands have found that coupons with a location element typically enjoy far higher redemption rates than those without.

Many major retailers, including Macy’s, Target and Lord & Taylor, have installed thousands of beacons, many to learn the ins and outs of what works and what doesn’t....