“Holy $#*T, you’re the most accomplished stalker I’ve ever met.” “It’s not stalking if you like it.” ― Aleksandr Voinov, Gold Digger
Have you ever felt like someone is following you? That someone knows exactly where you are and what you’re doing? That feeling makes you feel so vulnerable. I don’t want to spook you all, but if you get that feeling then probably someone is following you (American Horror Story’s background music playing). BOO!
Well, a ghost or a serial killer might not be behind you but I wasn’t joking when I said that you are being followed and that someone knows your whereabouts all the the time. Your creepy stalkers are no one but your marketers. Yes, they stalk you everywhere you go wearing their invisibility cloak just like the pug in the Hutch (now Vodafone) Boy and Pug commercial. The dog follows the boy in unlikely locations, prompting the tagline, “Wherever you go, our network follows.” The only saving grace is that these stalkers (marketers) aren’t creepy and don’t want to murder you, but on the other hand just want to help their customer out (or at least believe they are doing so).
Are you wondering how they do it? They use their secret weapons- The ‘Geolocators’. GPS tracking and GSM localization can be used to obtain the actual position of the travelling customer. Even when they’re on the go, consumers expect to receive relevant messages that meet their specific needs, whether that’s on their phone, tablet, or wearable device.
As mentioned on Wikipedia, Geomarketing is the integration of geographical intelligence into various aspects of marketing, including sales and distribution. In marketing, it is a discipline within marketing analysis that uses geolocation(geographic information) in the process of planning and implementation of marketing activities. Geolocation is the identification or estimation of the real-world geographic location of an object, such as a radar source, mobile phone, or Internet-connected computer terminal.
Geolocation is the next buzzword in marketing. As brands discover the power of GPS-fueled augmented reality (think Pokémon Go), they’re finding new ways to reach customers. For them, it’s meaningful not only to know not only where a consumer is, but also where that consumer’s attention is, and technology is making that possible. Mobile marketing is an important aspect of every marketing plan. The good news is that technological advances are giving marketers more and more ability to effectively target their mobile marketing more accurately. Location-based advertising hinges around the fact that wherever we go these days we always carry a mobile with us. Mobile devices built in GPS accurately show where the device, and the user of the device, are located. This data is accessed through apps that the user grants permission to use their location data. And most of us quite happily share our location data with the various apps we use. This presents an opportunity for advertisers to personalise their messages to people based on their current location. In real time. Using a person’s location data, gleaned from their mobile device, advertisers can send different messages to people depending on where they are. Imagine you’re walking through a fishing village somewhere on the east coast of Florida. You’re browsing on your phone and you see an ad for 45% off on pants at Abercrombie and Fitch. Great. But, there isn’t an Abercrombie and Fitch within a hundred miles of where you are. Ignored.
But imagine you see the same message while walking down 6th Avenue in Manhattan, and imagine the ad is specific to the Manhattan branch. Suddenly you find yourself much more likely to pay attention. This simply explains the concept of geomarketing. Some marketers are getting really creative with the way they use this feature.
Augmented reality/advertising– The technology behind the wildly successful Pokémon Go game, relies on geolocation to manipulate physical reality with tech-discoverable easter eggs. Using the same technology, advertisers are crafting virtual experiences around a brand or product. L’Oreal created a virtual art exhibit. Thanks to advanced geolocation technology, exhibit attendees used their mobile devices to uncover works of art that appeared onscreen, as if they were physically present. Pushing the limits of advertising, augmented reality technology can be used to enhance a viewer’s experience when an ad comes into view at a particular event.
New viewing experiences for the consumer- People can, for example, aim their viewing device at a different vantage point at a sporting event, and receive that location’s perspective, allowing them to control their viewing experience in ways which were never possible earlier.
Weather-based geolocation advertising- Brands use weather data to advertise specific products and services to customers based on the weather they’re experiencing: “Sunny day? Why not come in and cool off with an iced tea, or come to our store for sunscreen and a hat” or “Snowy outside? We’re offering a deal on tire chains.”
Brands are taking advantage of this as consumers are becoming more relaxed about their data. There are a number of reasons why this channel is proving so effective.
Personalised: We already know from various studies that personalised messages enjoy greater engagement than their generic counterparts, and location-based personalisation is no different. By personalising ads to people based on their location, you are much more likely to show them something relevant.
Timely: One of the key strengths of location-based ads is that they are timely. Because location data is served in real time, there is an opportunity for brands to target people at precise moments.
Targeted: Localised ads provide a natural opportunity for targeting because people in different geographical locations behave differently, or at least have their own unique quirks. Or on a more specific scale, whether someone is on a high street or a beach resort, whether they’re out shopping on a Saturday afternoon or out with friends on a Friday night, will determine what type of ad they would be more inclined to pay attention to. Better ad targeting means less time and money wasted on sending your message to people who literally couldn’t care less about it.
Unfortunately, as we all know, there is not a single marketing tool out there that works for everybody all the time. The biggest downside to using geolocation data for mobile marketing is that it is easily blocked by mobile users. Although there are many mobile users that use a plethora of apps with the GPS location feature enabled, like web browsers, weather apps, and other location-reliant apps that they find genuinely useful there are also many that disable feature and simply don’t use apps that allow GPS location data to be collected. Also, geolocation-triggered ads may not work on all devices due to ad blockers. So indeed, there are ways to get rid of these stalkers!
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