Commuters will receive messages on ongoing deals and discounts in the local area during their bus journey

Bus travellers on the Norwich network will now be able to receive location-based information and marketing content on their smartphones thanks to the deployment of Bluetooth beacons.

Mobile and NFC specialist Proxama worked together with media owner Exterion Media and transport body FirstGroup on the project. A first of its kind for buses, the system is based on Loka, an app that delivers relevant content based on the user's current position. Around 20 vendors in the Norwich area have signed up to advertise using the initiative.

"The aim of this project is to understand more about how and when new mobile proximity technologies can enrich a consumer’s shopping experience," claims Miles Quitmann, chief commercial officer at Proxama. "This initial six month beta project will provide useful knowledge from this partnership and will shape future rollouts, which will take place on other bus networks in the UK to benefit both consumers and businesses."

"Experience tells us that advertising on buses is welcome, so the potential of using beacon technology to maximise the opportunities is huge, for both advertisers and consumers looking to exploit this dwell time," adds Jason Cotterrell, managing director of Exterion Media. "We are very excited to be involved with this experiment and look forward to pioneering beacon technology on transport further and wider in the future."