London shoppers to get location-based mobile offers over free Wi-Fi service

From tomorrow, shoppers in parts of  London will soon be able to receive mobile vouchers and offers from nearby stores in public Wi-Fi hotspots.

In a move that may take a bite out of the existing mobile voucher market, Spectrum Interactive, independent provider of Wi-Fi has teamed up with Selective Media to launch the platform that will show deals to shoppers as part of the log-in pages they use to connect a mobile or tablet device.

The service grants free access to users in exchange for selecting a promotional offer from one of the platform’s brand and advertising partners.

The initial launch will hit some of the busiest shopping areas in the capital, including, Oxford Street, Tottenham Court Road, South Kensington, Knightsbridge, Mayfair, Bayswater, Westminster, Sloane Square, Victoria and Marylebone.

It’s an interesting model that weighs a consumer’s desire to get something on offer against brand loyalty and the need for constant connection.

Advertisers can target shoppers who are nearby on a cost-per-lead media model and shoppers will be offered unique deals from at least four promotional partners so that they can choose the one that is most appropriate.

The new service will be available across Spectrum’s ‘Free Street Wi-Fi’ which attracts around 25,000 unique users per month. Following the initial rollout in central London, plans are in place for city-wide and national expansion, taking advantage of Spectrum’s 1,800 street payphone kiosks.

Chris Bull, Founder of Selective Media says “Brands are increasingly recognising the benefits of mobile vouchers and this new platform has already generated much interest from potential media partners during preliminary talks. We’re very excited to be leading the industry forward with the launch of this new platform, and can’t wait to roll it out more widely in the coming months.”

Time will tell if this type of mobile voucher placement will make a dent in the services offered by the likes of Groupon or LivingSocial, but placing the ads on a log-in screen is a neat way to at least make sure that users know what’s on offer when they’re in the right place.

Read more : London shoppers to get location-based mobile offers over free Wi-Fi service