Jan 15, 2014

By BetaKit Acquisitions January 15, 2014 Toronto’s Juice Mobile Acquires Proximity Marketers Gauge Mobile Mobile marketing and technology firm Juice Mobile has acquired Vancouver-based proximity marketing solutions company Gauge Mobile . The deal gives Juice Mobile new proximity solutions as a way to target, talk to and engage their consumers. “This acquisition will allow JUICE to provide brands and advertisers with consumer touchpoints in-store, in-packaging and out-of-home. This is the evolution of mobile and the next step to closing the loop on the path to purchase,” said Juice Mobile’s CEO, Neil Sweeney. “Gauge focuses on Near Field Communications (NFC), iBeacon and proximity marketing technologies. Gauge also brings its existing partnerships with out-of-home leaders like NewAd and Astral to the brands at JUICE.” Juice started in Toronto in 2010 in response to the rapid growth and adoption of mobile devices. The company said it creates connected solutions that encompass the best in technology and brands. One of its flagship products, Juice Nectar is a solution that gives publishers and advertisers the opportunity to collectively participate in a more efficient way of advertising, where evaluation is based on reach, frequency, demography and duplication and not just price. In a release Juice offered that Canadian mobile ad spending is predicted to reach $301 million in 2014, according to eMarketer. As consumer behaviour on different mobile devices and platforms becomes more distinguished, marketers are looking to proximity for its targeting capabilities and consumer data offerings. Proximity-based marketing obviously has the potential to be very powerful for brands looking to expose their content to a wider and more relevant audience, even those who are physical locales that are more relevant to the brand. Proximity-based marketing utilizes bluetooth-based systems, also called “close range marketing” because Bluetooth has a limited distance in which is can send signals out. It also utlizes Near-Field Communication (NFC) and even “GSM-based” systems, which allows SMS messages (such as advertising or public information) to be broadcast to all mobile users in a specified geographical area. Gauge’s proximity technology typically revolves around QR-Codes and NFC technology. It will now be used to activate future Juice Mobile campaigns. “It is amazing to see two leading companies in the mobile technology space come together,” said Asif Khan, who is president of the Location Based Marketing Association . “JUICE will now be able to draw a line among a consumer’s location, timeframe, message and device to deliver engaging campaigns with an increased efficiency in terms of media spend.” Anton Vassiliev, Gauge Mobile’s cofounder and CEO, will be joining the team at JUICE Mobile effective today. His career is rooted in advertising, media and mobile technology and he is an expert on NFC and proximity marketing.Gauge Mobile has emerged as a leader in proximity marketing in North America. Their product offering and expertise have enabled them to build exceptional work for multiple agencies as well as brands such as BlackBerry and General Motors.