Orange's French operation has announced it is abandoning its Bluetooth localised advertising trials in favour of allowing mobile phone users to choose the ads they want by scanning in a barcode.
The trials, which essentially allow Orange to beam local adverts via Bluetooth to mobile phone users when within range of a billboard or in a store, have reportedly gone down well, but have had only limited success as they require users to opt into the program.
Orange is now testing a new program which is less invasive for its mobile phone users across France - when they see an ad that interests them, users simply scan in a quick response bar code, known as 2D, using their cameraphone.
The code can trigger a number of things, either routing the user's mobile to the appropriate mobile Internet Web site, with a discount coupon, or triggering a return voice call from the advertiser to the mobile phone user.
Orange says this approach generates more responses from punters, and is much less invasive than the Bluetooth beaming system. I have to agree, as it allows punters to choose what adverts interest them, rather than having to take a blanket approach, if you see what I mean.
Orange adds that it is asking its handset suppliers to include 2D code compliance in its cameraphones for the UK, French, Spanish and Polish markets, ready for a launch at the end of the year.
Sounds interesting...