By Claus Hetting, Wi-Fi NOW CEO & Chairman
Social media Wi-Fi platforms have been around for more than a decade but few have been able to build such services and platforms into successful, profitable businesses. Meet one such company: Hong Kong-based FansWiFi has grown its business since 2012 to serve more than 100 businesses by transforming venue Wi-Fi into a sophisticated marketing tool for their clients. FansWiFi is our brand new Wi-Fi NOW partner.
Can venue Wi-Fi be transformed into an effective marketing tool? The short answer is yes – but not many have been able to help venues convert their guests’ desire to get connected with Wi-Fi into return customers and revenue growth. Hong Kong’s FansWiFi is now serving clients in various countries worldwide.
FansWiFi’s secret sauce is a sophisticated suite of functionality ranging from configurable telco-grade captive portals with a host of authentication and engagement options, to data collection, analytics, targeted campaigns, re-marketing, integration with CRMs, and more. FansWiFi COO & Co-Founder Decem Yuen says the platform has evolved to serve a wide range of venues and telco clients effectively – and that new use cases continue to emerge.
“Our platform is suitable for any kind of venue, including malls, sports venues, restaurants, tourist attractions, hotels, exhibitions, and even transportation. For example: We’ve recently delivered a solution to a tour bus company for providing onboard Wi-Fi to their passengers. A lot of our clients use our platform for highly effective branding and loyalty programs. More than 10,800 retargeting campaigns have been launched on our platform,” says Decem Yuen.
The principle of social media Wi-Fi is to use social media accounts (or email) to authenticate users on the venue’s Wi-Fi network – for example in return for users liking or following the venue’s social media page. Captive portals can also be used to deliver campaign ads based on location, to run surveys for delivery of coupons, and more. Decem Yuen says she believes the key to FansWiFi’s success is the right features, a reliable platform, and a carefully designed ‘user journey’ for subscribers.
“Key features are at the heart of our services. Our clients harness the power of our platform to seamlessly manage their social media Wi-Fi marketing efforts across multiple countries, right from their headquarters. By utilising admin management and centralised control, they gain invaluable insights into their clients’ behaviour, empowering them to make informed business decisions. Moreover, our platform provides high and effective cybersecurity measures to ensure the safety of our clients’ data. As a result, our client can confidently access their data through our platform without any concerns.” Decem Yuen says.
FansWiFi integrates with most Wi-Fi AP brands including Cisco Meraki, CommScope RUCKUS, HPE Aruba Networks, and even Altai, Ruijie, and Peplink. FansWiFi says it is now aiming to expand and scale its business globally via new channel partners. Long-term FansWiFi customers include top international brands such as Kenzo, Celine, LVMH, Givenchy, agnès b, and more.
/Claus.
