Location-based marketing firm 1020 Placecast has launched ShopAlerts, which it describes as a new way to bring customers closer to the brands they love. ShopAlerts delivers location-triggered mobile messages when shoppers enter geo-fences that can be created around virtually any area. The company says the service has already demonstrated promising results in trials with retail marketers across the United States.
ShopAlerts is a retailer marketing solution. Retailers leverage the technology to create their own version of the service, then consumers choose the brands they want to interact with, and opt-in at the store, online, via text-message, mobile website, or social network. Once ShopAlerts is activated, consumers go about their day and the service automatically alerts them when they are near a location that they are interested in, or when the brand is running a sale or special offers.
ShopAlerts is an SMS-based service, so works on any phone, so will appeal to retailers who wish to reach the 196 million Americans who do not own Smartphones but are interested in shopping deals, says Placecast.
ShopAlerts geo-fences are virtual boundaries that can be targeted via location-based marketing. Using geo-fencing, the service enables retailers to talk to their customers when they are near a store, shopping nearby, or doing other things they enjoy. Geo-fences can be created around any location, and are set to trigger a personalized marketing message to opted-in consumers on their mobile phone when they enter the defined area. Customized messages are created and delivered automatically to shoppers creating a trusted, one-to-one communication channel based on place and time. Click here to watch a video of how it works.
SMS is already a very effective marketing platform and by adding location to the proposition you'll see even greater consumer response, says Greg Sterling, Senior Analyst for Opus Research's Internet2Go program.
Since September 2009, the ShopAlerts service has run pilot programs across the US with several major retailers including SONIC, American Eagle Outfitters, and REI. Participants in the programs were surveyed with the following results:

• 60% of participants found the location-triggered messages to be cool & innovative
• 79% said it increased their likelihood to visit a store
• 65% made a purchase as a result of a ShopAlerts message
• 73% of participants would definitely or probably use the service in the future

ShopAlerts is designed to work easily and efficiently within the existing marketing structure and needs of retailers. The program is seamlessly integrated into retailers CRM and marketing programs; message content can mirror retailers existing marketing calendars, current promotions or on-the-fly events opted-in consumers find relevant.
Geo-fence technology represents the next frontier for digital marketing as consumers expect to connect with brands at the right place and time, all via their mobile device, says Placecast CEO, Alistair Goodman.
The ShopAlerts service is open to all US retailers. Theres more information here.