There are more than 6 billion smartphone users in the world. And that number is forecast to keep growing. It’s no wonder then that location-based marketing has become an important tactic for businesses to engage mobile users.
But what exactly is it? And how can it help your marketing and advertising efforts in 2023? These real-world examples of geofencing will give you a better understanding of what this technology is, what the applications are for business owners and how to get creative with your campaigns.
Read through all of the geofencing advertising examples, or skip straight to the bit you’re interested in using the handy menu below:
- What is geofencing used for
- Examples of geofencing – Burger King
- Amazon
- Vouchercloud
- Uber
- Volvo
- Starbucks
- Get started with PlotProjects SDK
What is geofencing used for?
There are lots of different geofencing use cases, but one of the most common is for location-based marketing. Businesses with apps can set up geofences to identify mobile users in a specific geographic area, then target them with relevant, timely push notifications when they walk or drive by.
For example, a coffee shop can trigger push notifications for special discounts when customers walk past. Retail stores can notify shoppers about deals when they’re at their local mall. Or a business might set a geofence around a competitor for geo-conquesting – as seen in Burger King’s Whopper Detour campaign. There are so many geofencing advertising examples out there.
Examples of geofencing – best use cases
Here’s a look at some real-life examples of geofencing, including best use cases by big brands such as Amazon, Burger King, Vouchercloud, Volvo, Uber and Starbucks.
Burger King
One of the best examples of geofencing in the form of geo-conquesting has to be Burger King’s Whopper Detour campaign. The gutsy move saw Burger King trolling Mcdonald’s by offering its iconic burger for just 1 cent, but only to users who downloaded the BK app then ordered through it while visiting a Mcdonald’s restaurant.
With some smart planning beforehand, Burger King collected data on thousands of McDonald’s restaurants, then created geofences around every single one to trigger the in-app promotion. Hailed as one of the top geo-conquesting examples, it enabled them to capture masses of competitor’s customers, and score a ton of free publicity at the same time! This is one of our favorite geofencing advertising examples.
Amazon
Amazon’s new Location Service makes it easier for customers to add location functionality into their apps. Launched in June, business customers can embed the feature using high-quality data from top providers to provide maps, points of interest, geocoding, route planning, geofencing and asset tracking.
The service can be used for tracking objects such as packages that are being delivered to customers. And to build maps directly into apps, so a retailer could add a map to its website or app to tell people where they’re located. Importantly, businesses can use the geofencing features to reach out to customers with timely offers when they’re in close proximity to a retail location.
Vouchercloud – one of the top geofencing advertising examples
Another smart example of geofencing can be seen with the Vouchercloud app. One of the first brands to adopt geofencing marketing, the company has used it to revolutionise high street deals. Powered by an advanced geofencing platform, the Vouchercloud app delivers highly-targeted push notifications to customers near any participating retailers.
With more than 10 million downloads, the popular app boasts an array of big brand partners including Prezzo, Papa Johns, Hotel Chocolat and many more. For Vouchercloud, geofencing made it possible to get rid of generic adverts and offers, and reach a click-through rate of a whopping 45%! It’s no wonder then that Vouchercloud is one of the top geofencing advertising examples.
Does Uber use geofencing?
Yes! Uber does use geofencing and is a great use case example. Los Angeles International Airport banned taxis, Uber and Lyft from curbside pickup. But geofencing the airport made it possible for Uber to get around the problem. When users step off the plane and they’re thinking about how to get home, the Uber app will send them a notification about available cars in the vicinity.
It’s super convenient and it’s what customers need at that exact moment. All they have to do is walk to an area near the airport, where an Uber car will be waiting. This is one of the many examples of geofencing that show how businesses can increase sales by creating geofences in the right location.
Volvo
No list of great geofencing advertising examples would be complete without mentioning Volvo. While leveraging geofencing marketing, a dealership in New York attracted 500 new prospects to its website and 132 customers to its showroom over a 30-day campaign test period.
The marketing team built geofences around areas with high concentrations of car shoppers, including around local competitors, to target users with banner ads. They also set up a conversion zone around their own dealership so they could track those who actually visited the showroom.
Not only did Volvo use geofencing marketing to build brand awareness, but they reached customers who were already out shopping to purchase a luxury vehicle.
Starbucks
As with many examples of geofencing, Starbucks uses the technology to send push notifications to interested customers nearby. One such example is their happy hour special, when certain drinks are half price, users nearby get special push notifications notifying them about the promotion.
Not only can they deduce when a customer is nearby or when they walk in the door. They can also use geofencing marketing to segregate customers into different categories, for example, whether the user is a cappuccino drinker or a frappuccino drinker, in order to deliver an appropriate push notification.
Have these geofencing advertising examples inspired you?
Geofencing marketing is a powerful and cost-effective way to drive sales for businesses both big and small. If you need help getting started or you want to find out more about how our platform can drive results for your business, contact PlotProjects today.
You can try our demo app for free, or download one of our customer’s apps to see how it works. Don’t have an app? No problem. We can create a custom app using the PlotProjects technology. Want to nail your geomarketing campaigns? Why not add beacon technology to your strategy.