How Blue Dot Media CEBS Platform uses IoT to deliver 15 second Audio Ads in NCB ATM

The next time you go to an NCB ATM, don't be surprised if the ATM starts singing to you.

At least that's the plan of Blue Dot Media, which plans to run 10 and 15 second ads in NCB (National Commercial Bank) ATMs a reported in the article “Start-Up Blue Dot Media To Push Audio Ads In NCB ATMs”, Published Sunday May 22, 2016 by Tameka Gordon, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Registered as Agile Disruptive Technologies Limited, Blue Dot Media is a startup company founded by friends Larren Peart and Andre Burnett, will run a pilot program from June to July 2016 where these audio ads will be played in NCB ATM's at Liguanea Lane and at Half-Way Tree in Kingston.

Their technology, dubbed a CEBS (consumer engagement broadcasting system), delivers targeted advertising to Blue Dot Media spokesperson, Andre Burnett: “The key is that an advertiser can actually track how many people hear the ads. That's the system we are trying to bring, where we can track the effect of the marketing, and we can actually use it to promote direct sales”.

Mr. Burnett pointed out that Blue Dot decided to partner with NCB as they had the largest ATM Network with some 175 units, who makes no revenue from this venture. Also, this makes NCB look like a very progressive customer-centric company as it coincides well with their intended launch of Mobile Money in July 2016 as explained in my blog article entitled “How NCB Mobile Money by AIS and Quisk heralds Mobile phone ATM Withdrawals by December 2016”.

With some $500,000 to $700,000 invested so far, more clients taking an interest in investing and advertising with in Blue Dot Media and Angel investors in the wings, the company's CEBS Platform is set for expansion.

So what advantage does Blue Dot Media offer over other forms of advertising?

Blue Dot Media CEBS Advertising platform - Affordable Targeted Advertising form MSME's

Currently these ads do nothing more than provide information about the product as well as upcoming promotions as pointed out by Blue Dot Media spokesperson, Andre Burnett: “Our approach to advertising is that the consumer must get something. Right now, in most advertising, the consumers don't get anything except information”.

But they already have of NCB's customers signed up, such as Wisynco, who took interest because of the potential to drive sales to Wendy's, which is wholly owned by Wisynco, to quote Brand manager of Wisynco Foods, Krystle Graham-Haynes: “When you hear something on the radio, you come out of the car and you may not remember it. But when you hear something (about a product) that's just down the way from you, we saw the opportunity for additional transactions for the store”.

That’s because the location of each ATM can be mapped using its GPS coordinates and related to its surrounding community, giving the potential advertiser an idea of who heard the Ad, as well as the location and time they heard the advertisement. The targeted nature of the ads makes advertising more of a science than an art, making it easier to know who heard what ad and when they heard it as well, as most like the CEBS is triggered by the door opening or motion detectors.

Also, because the customer is entering an ATM, the 15 second audio ad can be tailored for a business close to the ATM, making it more likely that they'll make a purchase upon exiting the ATM, as explained by Mr. Barnett using the example of Wendy's, quote: “That way, Wendy's can know that the sales they are getting from super deals are directly attributable to the advertising that they did with CEBS”.

This product reminds me of an earlier attempt back in 2010 by Multimedia Jamaica Limited, a subsidiary of the RJR Communications Group and BluWave Technology out of England to deliver Bluetooth Ads to customer Blackberrys as explained in the article “Bluetooth ads coming to cellphones soon”, published Wednesday, August 25, 2010, by Alicia Roache, The Jamaica Observer.

It'll be interesting to see how well this targeted approach to adverting works, as newer, low cost ways of reaching customers that generated targeted metrics is always good for MSME (Micro Small and Medium Enterprises) to sell their products.