Boston-based mobile marketing company Swirl, which specializes in iBeacon platforms, has launched the first programmatic ad exchange for proximity-based, in-store mobile marketing. The company provides a way for retailers and brands to reach consumers as they shop by sending offers and promotions to their mobile devices in real time, and with the Swirl Ad Exchange (SWx) launch, advertisers will be able to do the same.

Powered by iBeacon technology, the SWx will give retailers their own secure, private in store ad exchanges, with only select brand advertisers granted permission to engage with shoppers through the beacon network. These advertisers will then be able to deliver targeted mobile content and offers directly to consumers through an automated service; such content and offers will be delivered to different devices depending on the shopper’s precise location in the store, as well as their existing preferences.

SWx benefits the retailer, the brand advertiser and the consumer, as the in-store ad exchanges grant retailers complete control over their in-store mobile marketing experience, while brand advertisers can programmatically manage campaigns, as well as get in touch with the consumer at the most important points of a shopping experience, like the point of purchase. The consumer who opts into iBeacon technology as they shop can receive exclusive promotions and information.

Founder and CEO of Swirl Hilmi Ozguc said that the new iBeacon-driven ad exchanges can change the way the industry operates:

Today, brands spend over $60 billion a year on traditional, mainly paper-based, in-store marketing and promotions. With the powerful new capabilities of SWx, retailers can now easily set up and run private digital exchanges for their brand partners to access the most valuable ad inventory imaginable: in-store shoppers using their smartphones in specific aisles, about to make a purchase decision. We are at the beginning of what will be a massive transformation in how leading brands and retailers engage with and influence shoppers in physical environments.

Earlier this year, the company saw its largest roll out to date when the company’s in-store mobile marketing platform was activated in Lord and Taylor and Hudson Bay stores across the country. Now, they’re rounding out their services as they make moves to more markets.

Image via Swirl