Bluetooth zones are located in or near food courts, theater box offices, information kiosks and other strategic locations where shoppers tend to linger. "We always post signs so shoppers know they're in a Bluetooth zone. They have to opt-in if they want to receive promotions," Thornton says.

The network enables marketers and advertisers to deliver targeted messages to consumers based on their location and near the point-of-sale, when targeted marketing has the greatest effect. Intera's content delivery system supports all major content formats including video, audio, images, downloadable mobile applications and text.

"One of the first promotional offers we sent to shoppers was a 30 second trailer for a soon to be released movie. Consumers who downloaded the trailer received an option to download a second piece of content, wallpaper for their mobile device," he says. "Once people opt-in and download, 50% opt-in a second and third time. Those who don't opt in again have typically moved out of range."

Thornton says the key is to make sure consumers perceive value in the content. The promotions have to be relevant and interesting, and the offers have to be meaningful and easy to access. "Generally speaking, merchants just ask the consumer to show the coupon on the screen to redeem it. A few will include a code that can be copied," Thornton says.

Scott W. Burchard, senior vice president of business initiatives for Macerich, calls mobile marketing "vitally important" for reaching consumers today and in the future. Partnering with Bluetooth network "provides a unique opportunity to reach millions of consumers with relevant offers at the point of sale," he says.

Macerich owns approximately 77 million square feet of gross leasable area consisting primarily of interests in 72 regional malls. It focuses on high-growth US retail markets, including in California, Arizona, New York and suburban Washington, DC.