He may be the ghost of Christmas Past - but Birmingham’s IMAX launch of Christmas Carol on Saturday is turning to techniques of the future to bring in the crowds.
 

For the first time, promoters are using Bluetooth or proximity marketing to engage with local shoppers – with savings of 25% for anyone choosing to receive the free message voucher to their phone.

Saturday’s Millennium Point promotion forms part of an integrated worldwide marketing campaign for the movie and coincides with Birmingham’s Christmas lights switch-on and the estimated 40,000 expected to attend.

Bluetooth works from a nearby ‘Bloowire’ transmitter, offering shoppers within a 100 metre range the opportunity to receive a free voucher to their phone which they can then take to the desk to receive their discount.

PR Manager Caroline Durbin explains:

“The Christmas lights switch on represents a unique opportunity for us to engage with large concentrations of people which is where Bluetooth works really well.

“The content is completely free to receive to phones and we’re offering those taking part a special 25% discount on the door if they show their digital voucher.”

Unlike SMS or text messaging alerts, the actual names and numbers of those participating remain unknown and therefore privacy is retained.

The chosen partners for the campaign are Gencia, who have now been running Bluetooth campaigns throughout the UK for over 2 years.

Gencia Managing Director Tony Braide says that techniques are becoming more widespread due to increased mobile usage rates and the introduction of more sophisticated phones.

“Bluetooth is increasingly more popular as a promotional tool due to the amount of mobile users, sophistication of phones and range of uses this now brings to both the sender and recipient.

“The organisers have already done a sterling job in promoting the film in other ways and the 25% offer by Bluetooth will give them a measurable way of attracting even more people through the doors.”