Two more concepts

What is collaborative marketing?

To explain it let us take an example. Suppose we are going to book an air ticket online. While we are accessing the website we can see that there is a list of options to hire a cab. This is because the airline company is having deal with the car hire firms. This way both the firms are at profit in terms of providing services to the customer’s satisfaction. Suppose the customer books the ticket through Facebook Connect. We often upload our movie and songs preferences in facebook. The airline company notices it and puts them in media options in the flight using iTunes probably. There may be tie-ups with the hotels also which further makes the customer’s job easier. Thus each firm though of varied fields collaborate in order to provide the deserved services to the customers in a most efficient manner.

These are all examples of collaborative marketing strategies. Collaboration can take place between the firm and the customers to further develop the techniques and thereby raising the profit line. Collaborative marketing is based on the purpose of building an interactive platform among the producers and the customers. Collaborative marketing is one of the newest and most innovative forms of marketing. This form of marketing puts emphasis on building a relationship between the customer and the seller. There is constant interaction and exchange of information between both the parties through various social networking channels. Through this process, the consumer is able to get the desired product or service and the seller is also able to build the customer base and earn more revenue. In fact, it has become a wonderful way to bring customers together to create more value in the business exchanges.
A good example of this kind is e-choupal. They network with the customers for designing products and services in the areas of crop nutrition and insurance. Due to this they are able to offer customization at an individual level. On the same ground, Nike is going for interesting experiments with product design and working with customers. Experts say collaborative marketing is still in infant stage and needs to be boosted up. But in the long run it will be the key point in bringing all round growth in all sectors.

What is proximity marketing?

“Proximity marketing is the localized wireless distribution of advertising content associated with a particular place. Transmissions can be received by individuals in that location who wish to receive them and have the necessary equipment to do so.” Definition from wikepedia.
In Bangalore if we enter Forum mall our Bluetooth enabled phone in discoverable mode will soon begin receiving promotional messages from the stores in the mall. This is the step taken along with 12 other places in India. Thanks to technology that marketers are going up very fast with their promotional strategies. This is nothing but proximity marketing. Multinational brands like Levi’s, Adidas, Pepsi are about to reach their customers very soon with the Bluetooth connectivity. Even the police officers in Bangalore now carry handsets that communicate with a central information server to instantly recall a traffic offender’s past record; a Bluetooth enabled printer can issue tickets on the spot.

This is in other words can be termed as Bluetooth marketing. Customers can receive content such as video clips, music, vouchers and coupons, contact information or product information by simply activating Bluetooth on their mobile phones in the vicinity of the display. To some extent it also enhanced the sale of Bluetooth enabled mobile phone. An estimated 7 million to 8 million mobile phones 70 percent of which are Bluetooth enabled are sold each month in India, which has a subscriber base of 250 million.