The goal of the Beacon Me app is to help people better explore new cities through emojis. The app highlights things to do and see, places to eat and more via a map filled with emoticons. Since there are a ton of emojis in existence there's a symbol for almost every type of event and place. In addition to making it easier to find points of interest the Beacon Me app also lets travelers unlock unique experiences they might have otherwise missed out on.
The in-app "challenges" are more about exploring a point of interest than completing a difficult task. The idea is for users to feel like a local when doing these challenges and to get the most out of a point of interest. The Beacon Me app is currently available only on iOS and there's only support for Philadelphia but there are plans to add more cities soon.
Emoji-Based City Discovery Apps
The Beacon Me App Uses Emojis to Display Unique Points of Interest
Trend Themes
1. Emoji-based City Discovery - Emojis are used to highlight things to do and see when exploring new cities, providing an opportunity for new city discovery apps.
2. Unique-in-app Experiences - Beacon Me's unique in-app 'challenges' offer opportunities for travelers to experience unique things they might miss out on, inspiring new in-app experience innovations.
3. Localized App Support - Beacon Me's support for only Philadelphia presents opportunities for localized city discovery apps, with plans to add more cities expanding on this trend
Industry Implications
1. Travel and Tourism - The Beacon Me app provides an innovative way for tourists to discover new cities, encouraging disruptive innovation in the travel and tourism industry.
2. Mobile App Development - Beacon Me's use of emojis and unique in-app experiences offers opportunities for disruptive innovation in mobile app development and design.
3. Consumer Technology - Beacon Me's use of emoticons highlights a potential demand for emoji-based consumer technology, inspiring industries to develop more consumer technology solutions.