High street tries out WAP drive

HMV, Oddbins, Superdrug and Lush are all beginning month-long mobile marketing campaigns this week.

The retailers are making use of location-based WAP technology offered by wireless marketing specialist Brainstorm.

With the exception of Superdrug, which will initially limit the service to its top 150 stores, HMV, Lush and Oddbins are using the service in all stores in the UK and Northern Ireland.

The technology allows marketers to tell consumers about special in-store deals. Consumers can be targeted by interests, as well as by age, gender and postcode.

The offers will initially be available exclusively to the 2 million users of BT Genie and other WAP services. These consumers will have the ability to receive details of over 30,000 location-based shopping offers, covering about 1,200 individual store locations across the UK.

Brainstorm claims its Promotion Finder is “highly location sensitive”, working to within 500 metres of a user’s geographical location. Within the London area alone, the service can be broken down into 100 different regions, including specific parts of the West End.

According to Brainstorm chief executive Steve Wunker mobile promotions are “just about the most targeted form of mass market advertising imaginable. Although most of the hype comes from campaigns aimed at the youth sector, our research shows users of all ages are interested in receiving offers and special deals through their phones.”

The service was launched at the start of this year under the Saverfone brand. Retailers already using Brainstorm’s WAP service to promote in-store deals, include Dixons, Debenhams, Austin Reed and The Gadget Shop.