Who Is Using Freckle And Where Are Its Beacons?
Gail Chiasson, North American Editor
After speaking Wednesday to Neil Sweeney, founder of Juice Mobile, and head of a new company called Freckle IOT, we were left totally unimpressed with Freckle’s current state – at least, whatever it is to date.
Freckle IOT’s goal, we understand, is to develop marketing applications for new mobile technologies, such as beacons, wearables and smart home appliances (hence the IOT for the Internet of Things.) Since Juice Mobile seems to have a good reputation, we can only hope that Freckle’s first effort, an outdoor beacon network stretching across Canada, will also develop well. Sweeney says that the new company has been installing beacons across Canada since late last year and now has thousands deployed but “It’s too early to talk about them.”
But herewith are some of the questions put to Sweeney and his answers:
- You say that your beacons are right across Canada. Is that including the Maritimes and Newfoundland?“No, not in Newfoundland and not in the Maritimes, although we hope to put some in Halifax soon.”
- Are you using Gimbal‘s beacons?
“No, not Gimbals. I can’t tell you what make we are using right now, for competitive reasons.” - In cities where you have put beacons on digital signage, have you had to get permission from city governments?“Not us. We depend on the network operators to do that. Where they have a contract from the city to put their signage, it would be up to them.“However, we aren’t just putting them on out-of-home screens. We are also putting them in individual stores, outside of stores, on light poles and many other places. An individual store doesn’t need city permission for a beacon.”
- In how many DOOH networks have you installed the beacons in Canada?“About two/thirds of the majors. But I can’t name them. It’s up to the companies to say.”
- “Can you tell us one advertiser who is using the beacons – maybe the first one that tested them originally?
“I can’t do that. It’s up to the companies to release that.” - Who is handling advertising sales for Freckle?
“Juice mobile.”
We checked with several of the large DOOH companies in Canada to see which of them might have agreed to have Freckle’s beacons installed. We’ve heard from Jorge Cieslok, president and CEO, Cieslok Media, who says, “No, we would not let him do that on our locations. We are in the wonderful position to own digital outdoor and work in the mobile technology space. Unlike Freckle. I also find beacons to be way too cumbersome, not immediately actionable in comparison to the various highly targeted mobile technologies we offer to engage consumers with the brand.”
We’ve also learned from a source on the digital side at PATTISON Outdoor that PATTISON is not working with Juice either.
Sweeney recognizes that privacy is an issue and that the individuals will have to download the advertiser’s app to their device as well as give permission to receive messages when prompted by a beacon.
“We have to make sure everything is compliant,” he says.
And he does promise to give us information when he’s ready to release it. But if he really has ‘thousands’ of beacons already deployed, isn’t it about time he’s willing to talk about them?
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