With the trend in location based marketing predicted to take off around the globe in 2011, this year’s Social Media World Forum Europe is placing the trend at the heart of its agenda.
The increasing spread of ever more sophisticated smartphone handsets, combined with the continuing development of apps powered by geolocation technology, like that from companies like Navteq, is crucial to this developing trend, providing a whole new angle of relevance for marketers and brands.
Navteq, one of the leading providers of location data for developers, said:
“Hyper-local mobile advertising can target consumers in a non-intrusive way when they are near a merchant’s location and then guide them to the front door. This effectively transforms mobile into a direct response channel for retail, restaurants, cinemas, petrol stations, and any business that benefits from getting consumers in the door.”
Savvy marketers are now using location-based technology to reach potential customers in the immediate vicinity. Business listings on services like Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt, Brightkite, and Google Places are set to become crucial weapons in the marketing arsenal as the industry waits for this trend to explode across the world.
The rise of social check-in apps has added a new dimension to the trend, using reward, word of mouth recommendation and viral to directly influence peoples’ purchasing behavior. They allow businesses to interact directly with customers, creating communities with an added level of engagement based in real-world behaviours.
Josh Williams, CEO and founder, Gowalla will be joining other industry leaders at the Social Media World Forum Europe 2011 in London on 29-30 March, discussing the latest developments in location-based marketing.
About Social Media World Forum Europe 2011:
29-39 March 2011, London, Olympia
www.socialmedia-forum.com/europe/
Location marketing forms just part of a varied programme around social media-based, marketing, B2B, mobile, gaming, virtual currencies and much more. Europe’s biggest social media event will be attended by marketers, brands, businesses, telecoms professionals and social media experts.
The event is part of a series of five international events spanning Africa, Asia, the Middle East and America. For more information see: www.socialmedia-forum.com/