Mall operator Macerich, which has a strong presence in many affluent and densely populated markets, is partnering with Mobiquity Neworks for beacon-enabled advertising, in a move that will further connect retailers, brands and shoppers at all of the company’s properties through customized offers, tailored information and personalized, real-time experiences.

The deal will boost Mobiquity’s mall-based beacon advertising and app engagement network, as marketers increasingly use beacons for precision location-based targeting of mobile offers and messaging. Once installation is completed by the end of June, Mobiquity, already the operator of the nation’s largest indoor mall-based beacon network, will have access to nearly 300 malls hosting more than 7,500 retailers in more than 37,000 storefronts.

“We expect the beacon network to go live at Macerich properties on July 1, providing plenty of time for marketers to target the heavy Q4 media buying season and make the most of our critical mass of affluent and engaged shoppers,” said Petra Maruca, vice president for business development with Macerich, Santa Monica, CA.

“We were pleased with the potential of the program,” she said. “Now, as demand is growing among media agencies and marketers, it’s the right time to help fuel the supply side by providing a larger platform to deliver reach and frequency via our top-performing retail properties that offer such strong demographics.”

Promotional offers
Shoppers using popular apps – including Macerich’s own mall apps – will be able to receive tailored promotional offers from participating stores.

For instance, if Athleta participates in the Mobiquity network, a shopper walking near the Athleta store could receive a targeted offer.  “This adds instant awareness about how close the store is and could deliver additional motivation to spur a purchase,” Ms. Maruca said.

Leveraging the right message at the right time.

Macerich’s markets include many of the most affluent and densely populated in the United States, especially on the West Coast, in Arizona, Chicago and the Metro New York to Washington corridor.

The partnership allows Mobiquity to reach out to an estimated 250 million monthly real-time shoppers who spend, on average, more than $25 billion a month and over $300 billion on an annual basis.

Mobiquity’s beacon technology uses valuable location-based data from common areas in-mall and provides advertisers with the opportunity to deliver targeted advertising to mall shoppers at precisely the right place and time – just as they are deciding which retailers to visit and what brands to buy.

Through Mobiquity’s platform, advertisers have the potential to influence over 3 billion annual shopping visits.

Well-executed proximity-based marketing not only adds to the shopper experience, but also supports Macerich’s retail and brand partners, while offering it an expanded platform for revenue generation.

Ken Volk, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Macerich, said Mobiquity has proved to be a strong partner for Macerich in the past several years.

Mobiquity is able to deliver national scale for beacon-based consumer engagement, which is essential for mall retail tenants and the brands in their stores to run large-scale mobile campaigns, per Mr. Volk.

Shopper experience
Mobiquity also has a rapidly growing pipeline of mobile app publishing partners.

Proximity-based marketing is effective and efficient.

“Reaching shoppers near the point of sale – when they are at the mall and already predisposed to making purchases – offers tremendous value to marketers,” Ms. Maruca said. “By comparison, seeing an ad on TV or elsewhere is removed from the decision-making moment. 

“Proximity-based marketing to targeted consumers at targeted properties is effective and efficient,” she said. “The inherent value is providing customers with timely and relevant messages when they are most meaningful.”

Final Take
Michael Barris is staff reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York