Marathon Joins iSIGN National Mobile Network

TORONTO — iSIGN Media Solutions Inc. will expand its National Mobile Network (NMN) advertising program at select Marathon Petroleum Corp. locations. These stores will use the iSIGN Smart Antenna, an interactive, proximity-to-mobile marketing technology that enables brands to deliver targeted messaging, offers and loyalty perks to consumers' mobile devices on-location and in real-time.

Suppliers whose brands will be included in this expansion include Swisher, Pringles, Mars and Coca-Cola. The Smart Antenna delivers messages on an opt-in basis at no charge to consumers’ mobile devices via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technologies.

Along with brand advertisements aimed at increasing product sales, multi-brand initiatives will be conducted in the energy drink category in order to assess the store owners' ability to influence product preference utilizing iSIGN's patented technology, according to iSIGN.

"We look forward to receiving signed contracts from a growing number of brands and their agencies," stated iSIGN CEO Alex Romanov. "We are convinced that as other brands and advertisers see the results being realized from these proximity marketing campaigns, the acquisition of more advertising revenue will become easier and quicker. In addition, we expect that as other chains realize the benefits to be derived from our products, such as increased store foot traffic, along with increased sales and improved profits, growth of the NMN will increase at a faster pace as well."

In June, iSIGN shared the results of a Smart Antenna trial at 38 Golden Pantry convenience stores in and around Atlanta, as CSNews Online previously reported.

iSIGN has a goal of installing a 10,000 NMN Smart Antennas by the end of April 2016.

"Our trials have proven to both stores and brands that people are very willing to accept advertising on their mobile devices and, provided that the messaging is compelling to the shopper, will act upon the messages," Romanov said. "The reporting that our back-end system delivers was of major interest to all parties — information that the advertisers and brands as well as the stores can use to their added benefit."