Teeradet Dumrongbhalasitr, head of Tesco commercial for Southeast Asia at Dunnhumby (Thailand), said yesterday that the project had begun with the roll-out of iBeacons in Tesco Lotus stores.
This technology uses a Bluetooth signal to notify customers near the beacons of special deals.
The technology will also enable the company to gain a deeper understanding of Tesco Lotus’ customers’ purchasing behaviour in order to offer the right promotions to target buyers. Teeradet said the iBeacon technology would be a key component of a complete online-to-offline communication system from the beginning to the end of the customer’s journey.
“Under the two-year milestone [project], we aim to create an integrated link among our in-store media, online channel and social media – such as Facebook and Line and Tesco Lotus membership – through the investment of about Bt300 million to Bt400 million, starting from next year,” he said.
The company believes that digital channels and platform synergy are becoming increasingly important in empowering customers’ shopping experiences and targeting individual customers.
“But we should also not neglect the ability of point-of-sale media and advertising on the sales floor to influence customers at their moment of truth,” he stressed.
Dunnhumby is also developing new formats of in-store media to encourage customers to make a purchase at point of sale.
The company claims that not only are cutting-edge in-store media equipped with a well-planned communication strategy able to boost sales, but they also help brands retain their existing customers and draw new prospects.
Teeradet said this development reflected that today’s brand owners were seeking effective and measurable media while experiencing an economic slowdown.
In the first eight months, Dunnhumby (Thailand) posted 29.8-per-cent year-on-year growth in gross revenue to Bt920 million.
By the end of this year, revenue is expected to exceed Bt1.2 billion from in-store media management at Tesco Lotus’ network.