The announcement of Google Nearby at this year’s Google I/O has created quite a buzz in the area of proximity solutions. In specific, Google Nearby Notifications has got several brands and businesses excited, given the prospect of delivering highly contextual mobile-based brand experiences in the most seamless manner. Google Nearby is built on the core premise of delivering the right mobile experience at the right time. Thus, be it guiding visitors in a museum through relevant audio tours or driving app installs at a retail store at the right moment, Google Nearby is a boon to enhancing customer interactions and experiences.

Harnessing Google Nearby Notifications is also incredibly easy. As a business, all you need to do is, buy Eddystone Beacons, do a simple configuration of the beacons based on the business requirements, and, pronto, you are all set to send contextual Nearby Notifications! We recently conducted a Webinar about Google Nearby Notifications and if you are planning your first Google Nearby campaign, it will help you better understand how Google Nearby Notifications will impact your business.

Businesses across the globe are exploring and investing in Google Nearby Notifications and in this post, we bring to you the top 5 Google Nearby campaigns and what you can learn from them.

1. Airside mobile drives app downloads

Travel application, Airside Mobile is leveraging beacons to send Nearby Notifications to airport travelers in order to encourage them to download their app and interact with various in-terminal experiences. So, with this solution, every time a traveler walks past one of the several beacons at the airport, a push notification is sent to his/her smartphone with a link to directly download the app from the Google Play Store.

Source: mobilemarketer.com

The idea behind Google Nearby Notifications is also to simplify customer experiences, and, in this case, the traveler is sent a direct link to the app without the need for him to individually search for it on the Google Play Store. The app itself aims at reducing wait times at airports and enables more speedy transactions at restaurants and stores at the airport.

This solution is currently available at several airports in the U.S, like, San Francisco International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and San Jose International Airport.

Key Learning – This approach is not only one of the best ways to present contextual mobile experiences to customers, it also effectively addresses one of the biggest barriers to beacon adoption – the need to have a native app installed on customers’ smartphones. This interesting feature makes it possible for even SMEs (without big budgets to develop and maintain a mobile app) to leverage Google Nearby Notifications to provide contextual mobile experiences to customers.

2. HasGeek enhances event experience

HasGeek, the very popular Indian forum that promotes discussions and events on interesting topics related to technology and innovation was the first to leverage Google Nearby Notifications at its recent event called ‘The Fifth Elephant’ conference.

The Fifth Elephant, 2016, was one of India’s most renowned conferences on data sciences and was  held on the the 28th and 29th of July at Bangalore. The conference hosted some of the top experts in the field and ran full-house in terms of attendee participation. As an interesting addition to the event, HasGeek included Eddystone beacons (from Beaconstac) and Google Nearby Notifications in order to enhance attendee experience. Google Nearby Notifications were used for a very interesting use case at the event- informing guests about the steps involved in connecting to the event’s local WiFi network as well as providing additional details about the conference schedule. It being their first time, we helped HasGeek use Google Nearby Notifications for a relatively simple use case. Moving forward, HasGeek plans to use the solution for more complex use cases at events.

Once a guest clicked on the notification, a simple three step procedure on how to connect to WiFi was broadcasted through a card (a web-based UI layout specially offered by Beaconstac).

Here is a sample notification that can be used at events like HasGeek

Here is a screen from our very own Eddystone dashboard that was used at the event. The graph below indicates the number of clicks that came through from the notification that was broadcasted.

Key Learning: The use of Google Nearby Notifications at events can be very valuable as it removes the need to employ additional resources in fulfilling key tasks. While HasGeek used Nearby Notifications for conveying WiFi details, they can also be leveraged for a host of other functions at events from event registration to informing guests about event details, event map etc.

3. Entertainment One promotes new movie

Source: campaignlive.co.uk

Media agency, Entertainment One leveraged Google Nearby Notifications to add an innovative angle to promote the new movie, BFG. As part of this initiative (called the BFG Dream Jar trail),  50 six foot beacon enabled Dream Jars that was featured in the original Roald Dahl story were placed at many locations across London. These jars sent  push notifications to all smartphone users within 15 metres of the jar.

The notifications were designed to prompt passers-by about a nearby Dream Jar, so that they could visit the Dream Jar and get a first hand experience of it. Notifications also included additional digital content about the special movie campaign.

Here is a short video about the unique project –

Head of theatrical distribution at Entertainment One UK, Kezia Williams, said: ‘The BFG Dream Jar Trail is a hugely exciting initiative. Not only does it offer the perfect way for us to engage with the audiences ahead of the film’s launch, but it also presents a fantastic opportunity to make use of innovative technology to offer consumers a wealth of digital content.’

Key Learning – This campaign is an example of how Google Nearby Notifications can be leveraged in creative, unique and interesting ways and is not restricted to only increasing app downloads/traffic.  

4. CVS enables easy service discovery

U.S Pharmacy and retail chain, CVS is among the first few businesses to implement Google Nearby Notifications. CVS is said to leverage Google Nearby Notifications to inform shoppers at the store about a unique service they offer – easy in-store photo printing. This enables the shopper to directly send photos from the the CVS app on his/her phone to the store’s printer and easily print them, thereby making the whole photo printing process highly efficient and time effective. CVS provides a great example for retailers, both small and big to increase brand visibility and reach audiences who do not have the brand’s native app. In addition, the timely and relevant nature of Notifications can also be of great value to customers.

Key Learning – This is a great way to inform shoppers about new products and services while they are at the store. In addition, given that Google Nearby Notifications are passive in nature, they do not intrude or disturb customers, thereby proving to be customer friendly.

5. Notre Dame powers audio tours

Notre Dame recently introduced Google Nearby Notifications to its mobile app, so as to send relevant, timely prompts to visitors on campus about nearby tour stops/attractions. As part of this initiative, beacons were placed at popular tour destinations around the Notre Dame campus like Basilica, Main Building and LaFortune Student Center in order to attract more visitors. Once a visitor clicked on the notification, he/she would be directed to the relevant tour stop on the mobile web version of the app.

Source: mobile.nd.edu

With nearly 2.5 million visitors annually, Notre Dame has invested in Google Nearby Notifications with the intention of enhancing guest experiences and popularizing the historical significance of the place.

Key Learning – Notre Dame provides a good example of how guest experiences can be enhanced in a very informative and insightful way. Apart from campuses, such solutions can prove to be hugely beneficial for museums, art centres and city tours as well.

Eddystone beacons and Google Nearby Notifications can thus be leveraged across a wide range of industries and verticals from retail to events to hospitality. The use cases that can be fulfilled using this simple but effective solution are also practically endless. But, perhaps the biggest advantage of Google Nearby Notifications is that, timely, relevant content can be sent to customers without the need for an app. In addition, the passive nature of the notification is a huge step in building customer confidence.

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!