How Are iBeacons Changing the Way We Watch Games?

As a millennial, I'll admit it: one of the toughest things about going to a sporting event is unplugging. And I'm not the only one. The next time you are at a baseball or football game or watch one on television, pay special attention to the fans in the crowd. What you'll probably notice is that many of them are not watching the game, but rather are texting, tagging themselves on Facebook, taking selfies, and doing other things with their smartphones. Attending a game is just another social experience, and vendors are beginning to use our mobile behavior to better market their offerings.

One case in point was the NBA All-Star Game. Knowing that many smartphone users allow push notifications to notify them of any new promotions (more than 67% polled have received a shopping notification in the last six months), organizers of a virtual bobble head doll booth in the area, used iBeacon technology to notify fans nearby of the booth. More than 700 people attended the booth because of the social promotion. The same vendor that did this also used iBeacon technology to promote a 20% off coupon at the team store at another sporting event. 

What does this mean for the future of sporting events? App development companies will continue to use this technology to enhance their apps for marketability. We have already seen this in malls and department stores as shoppers can receive product information and special promotions just for their proximity to a certain product. More and more users are willing to reveal their locations and lessen their privacy to enhance their shopping experience, and we should see stadiums and vendors use this technology more in the future. 

Image: Shutterstock

What Do Nike and Apple Have in Common?

With the excitement of Meb Keflezighi winning the Boston Marathon and becoming the first American to do it in my lifetime, I thought it would be a good idea to throw on my own running shoes for a run. It had been a while, but I thought it would be like riding a bike. Fast forward ten minutes and 1.2 miles later, and I was gasping for air as if I had run a marathon in Greenland. Still, I couldn't help but get excited by the prospect of running once again and getting all of that fancy running hardware, and I remembered that both Nike and Apple had rumored wearable hardware that would be perfect for the novice or professional runner: the Fuelband and iWatch respectively.

After doing a quick Google search, I found an article on Bite Interactive's blog on this very topic. Bite Interactive is responsible for some of the most innovative android and iPad app development. They have worked with a wide variety of clients, from HR Block to NASA, and they posted a link to an article by Ben Thompson on the interesting relationship Apple is developing with Nike. We all know that Apple is a vertically integrated hardware and software company obsessed with the delivery of a premium user experience with each and every product.

What I didn't consider was that Nike kind of does the same thing. Nike is not in the shoe business; it's in the experience business in a way. Between the Nike+ running app, the shoes and other gear to accompany you on your runs, and the running races it sponsors that you can compete in if you log enough miles on the app, it really does look like that Nike is trying to create something that transcends a brand; it's creating a lifestyle. This obsession with creating a multi-faceted user experience has created a certain sense of loyalty out of its customers, just like Apple customers. 

The main point of Thompson's blog post was to speculate about another partnership that might eventually turn into a Nike+iWatch collaboration, similar to the Nike+iPod a few years ago, now that the Fuelband is pretty much an extinct idea.  Only time will tell, but if anyone is ready to transform how we interact with our mobile devices, these two companies are in the driver's seat.