Have you heard of the new medium for delivering mobile content?
Currently, marketing to smartphones and tablets can only be activated if the user is actually using his or her devices. QR codes and NFC (the technology Samsung is using to allow its phones to communicate with each other and its advertisements) are a prime example of this; it goes without saying that if a QR code isn’t scanned, the user won’t see what it leads to. Sonic Notify technology looks to change that restriction.
Ultra-high frequency noises that humans can’t hear can be laid over radio and television commercials and shows, songs, movies, you name it, and these frequencies act as signals to phones equipped with apps carrying the Sonic Notify technology.
Using this technology, mobile phones have the ability to react to such signals and pull up advertisements, content, and more on their own based on the sounds they pick up around them. That can be something from the public space, or even as you are watching TV or listening to your friend’s home theater system.
Watching a Lady Gaga concert? Get notifications to vote on her encore songs. Walking into a coffee shop? Personalized advertisements and deals are delivered to you at no extra effort.
These pitches don’t have to be played over music or pre-existing noise, either; standalone, indiscreet devices can also be strategically placed to emit the sounds as users walk by. (Think: a sound chip placed behind the price tag of a product in a grocery store emits the frequency to give customers deals on whatever items they’re near.)
This technology presents the opportunity to market to customers based on their surroundings without necessarily being as intrusive as GPS. Best of all, it acts on its own without requiring the user to actively use their devices to trigger specific apps or sites (users can opt out, of course). Once the phone hears the frequency signals, it acts.
What do you think about this new technology? Will it pave the way to the future of mobile marketing, or do you think it’s too intrusive to pick up mainstream success?
