Marina Bay Sands Singapore launches WeChat iBeacon Campaign in collaboration with FOMO Pay

On 9 June, Marina Bay Sands (MBS) Singapore launched its WeChat iBeacon Campaign in more than 70 participating retail stores. This move aims to target mainland Chinese tourists, who are the biggest spenders in Singapore two years in a row, according to an article from The Straits Times.

The iBeacon allows Bluetooth devices, such as smartphones, to broadcast or receive information within a 20m radius. Using the iBeacon technology, retailers can selectively display promotional discounts and notifications depending on how near or far the user is from the store. In order to redeem their WeChat vouchers from participating stores, users just have to use the WeChat Shake function. This allows retailers to combine social campaigns on the WeChat app with proximity-based campaigns in order to increase store traffic and conversion rates.

Renowned brands such as Bally, Dior, GUESS, Kenzo, Michael Kors, Swarovski, and Ted Baker have joined the campaign to offer attractive discounts and/or complimentary gifts to customers. For example, Bally is offering a 10% discount for consumers, while TWG Tea Salon is giving away 6 macarons with every S$150 spent.

How to use the WeChat Shake Function?
If user is in MBS,
1. Turn on the phone’s Bluetooth function and enter WeChat Shake in the Discover page. 2. Select the coupon of interest and use the coupon on the spot.
If user is not in MBS,
1. Go to Marina Bay Sands WeChat Official Account and enter its coupon home page to redeem the coupons.
2. Reopen the selected coupons by selecting Cards & Offers à My Items, and use them in the retail stores in MBS. Users may also send the coupons to their friends.

WeChat started off as the most popular social messaging app in China with 762 million users, but it has evolved to facilitate more services than just chatting. The WeChat app is now a mobile wallet with WeChat Pay, allowing users to make in-store payments and split the bill easily amongst friends. It is also an information source, as many media outlets, celebrities and brands have official accounts within WeChat. There are so many things one can do within the WeChat app, thus explaining why it has become part and parcel of the daily lives of many Chinese people living in China. It is a great tool for businesses to use in order to reach out to Chinese tourists, as the relationship can be developed even before they arrive in Singapore.

FOMO Pay
FOMO Pay is the first authorized WeChat Pay & Baidu Wallet partner in Southeast Asia, and was selected as one of the TOP 100 Asian Companies by E27, TOP 100 Startups by Red Herring Asia, and Top 8 by DBS’ FinTech Accelerator Program. FOMO Pay provides a one-stop solution for local merchants by facilitating payment collection from the China market, including Chinese tourists. This comprises of online/offline Chinese payment modes, such as WeChat Pay, Alipay and Union Pay. FOMO Pay’s business solution serves clients from a wide range of industries, including the telecom, publishing, tourism and hospitality, F&B, education and retail industries.