Central implements mobile technology

Customer link new promotion and research ploy

Central Chidlom is about to begin a pioneering customer-relations and marketing project involving in-store touch-screen kiosks and Bluetooth broadcasting technology.

By the end of next month, shoppers will be able to create personalised shopping coupons at interactive touch-screen kiosks within the store. These will create a link with the store that will not only offer price discounts, but will also enable customers to receive promotional messages from Central Chidlom in the form of Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) presentations sent directly to mobile phones that are equipped with Bluetooth technology.

The new system, claimed to be the first of its kind in Thailand, is being implemented by the Central Group and Index Creative Village subsidiary Blue Media Communications.

Blue Media's chief executive Burapakorn Musikasinthorn said that Central Chidlom customers would be able to create their personalised coupons at interactive touch-screen kiosks within the store. The shoppers would receive a mobile 1D barcode which they would be invited to display when making purchases at the store, in order to qualify for discounts.

The store will be able to send MMS messages to shoppers owning mobile phones with Bluetooth and GPRS technology. Central will thus be able to promote products and services by focusing on targeted customers and businesses.

"The interactive touch-screen kiosks will connect to back-office systems and a customer database will be created. In this way the company will be able to understand consumer behavior, and will be able to provide products to meet the personal demands of its customers," Burapakorn said. "Moreover, customers will be able to change their coupon by sending an MMS message to the kiosk. The kiosks will also offer games that customers can play."

He said the Central project was Blue Media's first in the combined use of touch-screen kiosks and Bluetooth technology. In a first phase, 20 interactive touch-screen kiosks will be installed at Central Chidlom. They will promote four products: B-ing, Toyota, Bobbi Brown cosmetics and Singha products. In a second phase, Blue Media will install new media kiosks at CentralWorld, Central Lat Phrao and Central Phuket.

He said the kiosks would help to create brand loyalty and would keep statistics and monitor customer behavior, enabling businesses to design customised and even personalised products and services to meet demand.

"The interactive touch-screen kiosks create two-way communication between businesses and their customers, which enables businesses to integrate marketing messages into this communication. The new media can promote products by 'word of mouth' advertising, via social media," Burapakorn said.

Next year, the company plans to provide interactive touch-screen table kiosks at Central's Food Loft restaurant. Customers will be able to see food menus at their interactive tables and place food orders without any need to visit food counters to make their choices.

"The new interactive kiosks will allow businesses to evaluate returns on investment from digital-media advertising. This is important for businesses that plan to apply digital media to promote their products and services and create new campaigns to increase their performance and productivity. The new media will be very useful for businesses in the digital era," Burapakorn said.