Dive Brief:

• AMI Entertainment has partnered with mobile moments firm inMarket to roll out beacons to 25,000 U.S. entertainment venues, such as bars and restaurants, the latter announced today in a press release provided to Marketing Dive. 
• The beacons are tied to inMarket's company’s inBar ambient intelligence platform that turns smartphones into assistants providing brands a way to engage with people when they are in entertainment venues.
• InBar will provide users with relevant second screen experiences such as smart jukebox interactions, safe ride deals based on context such as the user being in the bar for more than three hours, fast food offers after 2 a.m., and drink specials for checking fantasy football scores while watching a game a beacon-equipped venue.

Dive Insight:

Beacons were a hot topic when they first came on the scene several years ago, with a number of retailers like Macy's, Walgreens and others jumping at the opportunity to engage shoppers based on their location in a store via their smartphones. While results from these efforts were promising, many of these efforts have not moved passed the pilot stage because retailers have struggled with hyper-local data and pinpointing the best engagement methods. 

Businesses beyond retailers with physical locations are also looking for ways to bridge the offline and online experience and beacons could be one way to go. The inMarket deal with AMI Entertainment suggests beacons may find growth in restaurants and bars. The technology promises these businesses a relatively low-cost way to reach patrons with a special offer or other message.

There are also opportunities for advertisers to reach patrons beyond branded coasters and neon signs. InMarket's platform gives advertisers a way to take advantage of mobile moments with relevant messaging and offers based on user behavior while in entertainment venues participating in the beacon program.