Apps such as Foursquare and Loopt have taken targeted marketing to a new level. Now users can send and receive information based on their location. Using smart phones such as Blackberry, Droid and the iPhone, businesses can target customers with relevant ad’s and information that updates as the user’s location changes.
Social apps and websites all start out as a way for people to connect with each other; following this businesses seek to use this information to their advantage. What starts out as social quickly becomes another way to market and sell products. Just as advertisers posted on bathroom walls, buses, and taxi cabs, they now seek to target you in your most personal settings, now your phone! As marketing progresses, is it becoming more invasive? What measures do companies such as Foursquare and Loopt have in place to allow you to switch off ads and maintain privacy?
With Geo-Location you can check in at cafes, bars, stores even your workplace. This is great for connecting with friends (and advertisers) but how do you protect kids downloading, signing up for these apps and sharing their info?
Not to say that Geo-Location isn’t a fantastic and innovative way for marketers and users to interact, but there is an unknown privacy issue, especially in an age of identity theft. How much of the information you share, is being shared?
For marketers Geo-Location is a valuable tool. It takes the use of demographics to a new level. Websites such as Google, Hulu and Facebook have been using Geo-location for some time, delivering ad content based on a user’s location often based from the IP address. However proxy servers and IP re-directs can alter the validity of these location based results.
There’s no doubt that Geo-Location is a useful tool for advertisers and businesses, however there is a huge risk as a consumer dependent on how much information you choose to share. People have become more open and trusting with their personal data. How will impact online crime and data theft?