By Vicente Goetten, Executive Director and General Manager of Totvs Labs
The virtual universe provides a strong interaction between people and companies, making it possible, through Big Data tools, to identify consumer preferences and behavior. With accurate information about customers' tastes, organizations are able to offer products in line with their desires, giving the online environment a competitive advantage over the offline environment. However, Beacons can drastically modify this scenario. The existing sensors in this microlocation technology make it possible for people to interact with the real world through mobile devices, such as smartphones and smartwatches, among others, giving the offline environment the ability to identify consumer preferences – just like in the world. virtual.
Sensors that connect to each other (Internet of Things - IoT) and still use Big Data and analytics bring objects to life, becoming powerful sources of information. Companies from different sectors of the industry will be able to extract data from this exchange and develop specific actions.
The dizzying growth of mobile devices will influence this movement. According to IDC, there will be more than two billion Smart Connected Devices by the end of 2015. The rapid transition of platforms, increased use of new technologies and intense sensor adoption are driving this trajectory. Beacons will be the enablers of this revolution that will make the consumer experience unique and personalized.
With Beacons, it is now possible, for example, to check-in to a Hotel by cell phone, eliminating the time spent in the queue. The Beacon located at the reception communicates with the guest's smartphone, identifying if the person is already a customer of the network and, if not, allows registration through the device itself. The same can be done at check-out. For this, customers need to have the Hotel or a universal application, which allows interaction with all authorized establishments. In addition, with a Beacon installed next to the bedroom door, it is possible to open it only with the smartphone, without a key. Through the application itself, the guest can also interact with the other services of the hotel, being able to request an extra pillow or order dinner, for example.
By identifying preferences, companies will be able to offer consumers an even better experience in the next interaction. The hotel will be able to supply the minibar with the products that the customer normally consumes and leave the room at the temperature that most pleases the guest.
In retail, the adoption of technology will offer companies a plethora of data that are currently the privilege of e-commerce. By knowing the customers' consumption habits, it will be possible to send intelligent recommendations and interact with them in the offline world based on their browsing data, making it possible, for example, to offer a discount coupon to the consumer who has viewed a certain product on e-commerce, but went to the physical store to prove it. Or, still, present important information to the consumer when he is close to a product or even a department.
Beacons are not restricted to the hospitality and retail segments, and can also improve the consumer experience in restaurants, hospitals, stadiums, museums and even in educational institutions, as they can be configured according to the needs of organizations. The possibility of increasing engagement with consumers, as well as the volume of sales and services, will make the technology widely used by organizations in different segments by 2016.
One of the challenges for the growth of technology is the need for consumers to determine which companies will have access to their data and communicate with it. Once this barrier is overcome, companies in the physical world will be able to extract relevant information and provide a unique and unforgettable experience to consumers, who will likely become regular customers of their brand and products.
Sensors that connect to each other (Internet of Things - IoT) and still use Big Data and analytics bring objects to life, becoming powerful sources of information. Companies from different sectors of the industry will be able to extract data from this exchange and develop specific actions.
The dizzying growth of mobile devices will influence this movement. According to IDC, there will be more than two billion Smart Connected Devices by the end of 2015. The rapid transition of platforms, increased use of new technologies and intense sensor adoption are driving this trajectory. Beacons will be the enablers of this revolution that will make the consumer experience unique and personalized.
With Beacons, it is now possible, for example, to check-in to a Hotel by cell phone, eliminating the time spent in the queue. The Beacon located at the reception communicates with the guest's smartphone, identifying if the person is already a customer of the network and, if not, allows registration through the device itself. The same can be done at check-out. For this, customers need to have the Hotel or a universal application, which allows interaction with all authorized establishments. In addition, with a Beacon installed next to the bedroom door, it is possible to open it only with the smartphone, without a key. Through the application itself, the guest can also interact with the other services of the hotel, being able to request an extra pillow or order dinner, for example.
By identifying preferences, companies will be able to offer consumers an even better experience in the next interaction. The hotel will be able to supply the minibar with the products that the customer normally consumes and leave the room at the temperature that most pleases the guest.
In retail, the adoption of technology will offer companies a plethora of data that are currently the privilege of e-commerce. By knowing the customers' consumption habits, it will be possible to send intelligent recommendations and interact with them in the offline world based on their browsing data, making it possible, for example, to offer a discount coupon to the consumer who has viewed a certain product on e-commerce, but went to the physical store to prove it. Or, still, present important information to the consumer when he is close to a product or even a department.
Beacons are not restricted to the hospitality and retail segments, and can also improve the consumer experience in restaurants, hospitals, stadiums, museums and even in educational institutions, as they can be configured according to the needs of organizations. The possibility of increasing engagement with consumers, as well as the volume of sales and services, will make the technology widely used by organizations in different segments by 2016.
One of the challenges for the growth of technology is the need for consumers to determine which companies will have access to their data and communicate with it. Once this barrier is overcome, companies in the physical world will be able to extract relevant information and provide a unique and unforgettable experience to consumers, who will likely become regular customers of their brand and products.
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