Compliance system for display units in a retail setting

1. A system for monitoring compliance with a retail display program, the retail display program comprising a promotional display structure intended to be displayed at a specified retail facility during a specified time period, said system comprising:

a beacon coupled to the promotional display structure, said beacon is configured to transmit a beacon signal, said beacon signal comprises a beacon ID;

a database linking said beacon ID to data associated with the specified retail facility and the specified time period associated with the promotional display structure, wherein the specified retail facility is associated with a hub computing device located at the specified retail facility;

a beacon software application executable on a user device associated with a customer of the retailer and configured to:

receive the beacon signal;

calculate, using the received beacon signal, a proximity to said beacon;

generate a partial beacon data record in response to the proximity of the user device being within a predetermined range of said beacon, the predetermined range being no greater than six feet, wherein the partial beacon data record comprises said beacon ID and a time stamp; and

transmit the partial beacon data record to the hub computing device; and

a remote computing device in communication with said database, said remote computing device is configured to:

receive, from the hub computing device, a beacon data record including the partial beacon data record and a hub ID of the hub computing device;

retrieve from said database the data associated with the specified retail facility and the specified time period linked to said beacon ID;

compare the hub ID to the data associated with the specified retail facility to determine whether the promotional display structure is displayed in the specified retail facility; and

compare the specified time period to the time stamp to determine whether the promotional display structure is displayed during the specified time period.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the retail display program further comprises a specified location within the specified retail facility at which the promotional display structure is intended to be displayed, said system further comprising a reference beacon installed at a predetermined location in the retail facility, said reference beacon is configured to transmit a reference beacon signal, said reference beacon signal comprises a reference beacon ID, said beacon software application is configured to receive the reference beacon signal, wherein said database further links said beacon ID to the specified location and further stores said reference beacon ID along with the predetermined location, and wherein said beacon software application is configured to include the reference beacon ID in the partial beacon data record, said remote computing device is further configured to:

retrieve the specified location linked to said beacon ID from said database;

retrieve the predetermined location linked to said reference beacon ID from said database; and

compare the predetermined location to the specified location to determine whether the promotional display structure is displayed in the specified location.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said beacon is embedded within a material from which the promotional display structure is fabricated.

4. The system in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a power source coupled to said beacon, wherein said power source is configured to activate automatically when the promotional display structure is erected.

5. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said beacon is a low-energy Bluetooth device, and said beacon signal is configured to be read at a distance of up to approximately 150 feet from said beacon.

6. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said remote computing device is further configured to:

store the beacon data record in a set of beacon data records received from a plurality of hub computing devices including the hub computing device; and

evaluate an effectiveness of the retail display program in exposing customers to the promotional display structure based on a number of the set of beacon data records associated with said beacon.

7. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said remote computing device is further configured to indicate that the promotional display structure is incorrectly displayed based on a received number of the beacon data records associated with the promotional display structure.

8. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said beacon is further configured to transmit a promotional message to the user device.

9. The system in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the promotional message includes an electronic coupon for a product associated with the promotional display structure.

10. The system in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the promotional message includes a uniform resource locator (“URL”) associated with a web page available on the World Wide Web.

11. The system in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the web page is configured to provide the user device with said beacon software application.

12. A method for monitoring compliance with a retail display program, said method comprising:

coupling a beacon to a promotional display structure prior to shipping the promotional display structure to a retailer;

transmitting a beacon signal from the beacon coupled to the promotional display structure, wherein the promotional display structure is intended to be displayed at a specified retail facility during a specified time period, the beacon signal comprises a beacon ID;

linking the beacon ID to data associated with the specified retail facility and the specified time period associated with the promotional display structure in a database, wherein the specified retail facility is associated with a hub computing device located at the specified retail facility;

receiving the beacon signal by a beacon software application executing on a customer device associated with a customer of the retailer;

calculating, by the beacon software application using the received beacon signal, a proximity to the beacon;

generating, by the beacon software application, a partial beacon data record in response to the proximity of the user device being within a predetermined range of the beacon, the predetermined range being no greater than six feet, wherein the partial beacon data record includes the beacon ID and a time stamp;

transmitting, by the beacon software application, the partial beacon data record to the hub computing device; and

receiving, from the hub computing device by a remote computing device in communication with the database, a beacon data record including the partial beacon data record and a hub ID of the hub computing device;

retrieving, by the remote computing device from the database, the data associated with the specified retail facility and the specified time period linked to the beacon ID;

comparing, by the computing device, the hub ID to the data associated with the specified retail facility to determine whether the promotional display structure is displayed in the specified retail facility; and

comparing, by the computing device, the specified time period to the time stamp to determine whether the promotional display structure is displayed during the specified time period.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the retail display program further comprises a specified location within the specified retail facility at which the promotional display structure is intended to be displayed, said method further comprising:

transmitting a reference beacon signal from a reference beacon installed at a predetermined location in the retail facility, the reference beacon signal comprises a reference beacon ID;

receiving, by the beacon software application, the reference beacon signal, wherein said generating the partial beacon data record further comprises including the reference beacon ID in the partial beacon data record;

linking in the database the beacon ID to the specified location and linking in the database the reference beacon ID to the predetermined location;

retrieving, by the remote computing device, the specified location linked to the beacon ID from the database;

retrieving, by the remote computing device, the predetermined location linked to the reference beacon ID from the database; and

comparing, by the remote computing device, the predetermined location to the specified location to determine whether the promotional display structure is displayed in the specified location.

14. A method in accordance with claim 12 , further comprising:

storing, by the remote computing device, the beacon data record in a set of beacon data records received from a plurality of hub computing devices in each of a plurality of retail facilities involved in the retail display program; and

evaluating, by the remote computing device, an effectiveness of the retail display program using the set of stored beacon data records.

15. A method in accordance with claim 12 , further comprising transmitting a promotional message from the beacon to the customer device.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15 , wherein transmitting the promotional message comprises transmitting an electronic coupon for a product associated with promotional display structure.

17. A method in accordance with claim 15 , wherein transmitting the promotional message comprises transmitting a uniform resource locator (“URL”) associated with a web page available on the World Wide Web.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17 , wherein the web page is configured to provide the customer device with the beacon software application.

19. A method in accordance with claim 12 , further comprising coupling a power source to the beacon, wherein the power source is configured to activate automatically when the promotional display structure is erected.