Best of Beacons this Week: The Real Privacy Threat Posed by Beacons and More

Image Source: github.com

UPDATE: Chrome removes Physical Web support on iOS and Android.

Are beacons a real threat to privacy as claimed by media? Can they really track a consumer’s location data? How can marketers reap the benefits of beacons without going overboard with beacon marketing? Though many experts agree that beacons are fast transforming the retail industry, is it a reality for all of retail, or just few large retail chains? We have found the answers to these questions from some of our favourite blogs on the web. So put on your reading cap and check out the stories we have lined up for you:

1. Beacons Do Pose a Privacy Threat – But It’s Not the One You are Worried About

Last week BuzzFeed published a story about Titan, an outdoor advertising giant which had installed beacons in hundreds of phone booths across New York City. But in their attempt to tie the technology to privacy and security concerns voiced by many, the report misses out on an opportunity to bring to light more meaningful threats that exist – the rapid growth of secondary markets for location data shared by consumers. Check out this post to gain more insights on it. If you are interested in learning more about security concerns of beacons, our post on 6 Myths around Beacon Security and Privacy is a good place to start with.

2. It May be the ‘Now’ Economy, But is Main Street Retail Ready for iBeacon?

With the recent rollout of more than 4000 iBeacon devices across all of Macy’s stores in the U.S, many retail experts touted that beacons are all set to transform retail industry for the better. A recent Business Insider report forecasted that iBeacon technologies are expected to see a five-year compound annual growth rate of 287 percent. However, much of the potential for real business impact with this technology is dependent on having your operations online, integrated and in real time – something most smaller retailers are still struggling to achieve. Check out this post to learn where ‘Main Street’ retail will be investing in the near term.

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3. With Beacon Marketing, how much is too much?

According to a recent study by inMarket, a company that helps brands implement beacons, too many irrelevant push notifications, or an overload of messages, nudged consumers to stop using an app or uninstall them. So much so that, with every other push notification that is delivered per store visit, marketers risk a whopping 313% drop in app usage. Therefore, it is highly critical for marketers to ensure that they do not overdo beacon marketing, as it may cause them to lose out on loyal consumers. Check out our post on ‘4 Ways to Ensure Impactful Beacon Marketing’ to find out how.

4. The Benefit of Beacons Is in the Past and the Future — Not in the Present

Are you using beacons to merely push notifications on deals and offers? If so, you are clearly missing out on the other benefits offered by these proximity-detection devices, that extend well beyond the real-time advertising scenario. Beacons provide marketers with a whole new world of opportunities to build deeper audience segmentations and highly accurate location targeting techniques. Andrew Dubatowka sheds lights on the challenges posed and future of beacon-fueled advertising.

5. Physical Web, a Close Competitor to Beacons

The Internet of Things is making objects around us smarter, but we don’t have a standard way of interacting with them. Most devices require you to download a custom mobile app, but that’s overkill if it’s just for a one-time use. The Physical Web, a new project from Google’s Chrome team, is an attempt to provide an easier way to communicate with public connected devices like vending machines, posters and bus stops. Read on to learn how Google plans to use URLs as beacons for smart devices.

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If you are planning a beacon pilot, take a look at Beaconstac, that includes everything you need to get started. Using Beaconstac you can set up your own campaign, without a developer’s help!