Mobile apps that use geofencing alert the user when you cross a boundary – say, when you drive into the parking lot at a shopping mall, step onto a college campus or arrive at a sports stadium.
Mobile apps use geofences – in this case, Shopping Boundaries – to trigger push notifications when users cross them.
According to Billboard, Matchbox Twenty is the first to use a geofencing app in a concert environment.
With the app, which is for iOS and Android devices, the band can message fans as they enter and exit the venue and encourage social media participation with a concert-specific hashtag.
Matchbox Twenty fans can enjoy a more interactive experience with the band’s concert app. Photo source: SoundCtrl
At this point, the app only senses whether you’re in the venue – but in the future, the band plans to roll out pop-up messaging to help fans find their seats, announcements for discounts at the merchandise tent and other upsells.
Matchbox Twenty live in concert. Photo source: songkick
Despite initial trouble with functionality (reviews mention repeated crashing and freezing), the app highlights yet another innovative way to use geofencing data for mobile apps.
For more on geofencing and mobile messaging, check out our presentation on Slideshare, How Geofences Enable Better Mobile Ad Targeting.
Or read our blog post, Are You Geofencing? - which explores why predefined geofences work so well in the SoLoMoCo space.