Customizable beacons to activate content on a user device

Embodiments described herein use customized beacons embedded in Bluetooth low-energy advertisements to transmit information between a user device and a beacon module. In one embodiment, the beacon module transmits the advertisement to the user device. The user device then parses the data contained within the advertisement to identify a customized beacon. Based on the information contained in the beacon, the application may provide an audio and/or visual presentation to the user. For example, the beacon may inform the user device that it is within close proximity to a particular geographic location (e.g., a point of interest). In response, the beacon application may present a visual presentation about the geographic location using a display screen within the user device.