The document evaluates location-based social media platforms and their potential for brands. It provides examples of how brands like Nike and the New York Nets have used location-based platforms to increase awareness, educate consumers, and drive brand affinity and responses. While the platforms currently have limited reach, factors like increasing smartphone adoption and urbanization trends worldwide suggest the potential for growth.

1. LOCATION-BASED
SOCIAL MEDIA
FOR BRANDS
1

2. INTRODUCTION
May 2010
One would be hard pressed to find a “hotter” trend Table of Contents
of the moment than location-based (or geolocation)
Introduction 2
social media.
Overview 3
Beyond the adoption by the early social media A Brief History 4
technographic segments - brands and their
agencies have yet to develop meaningful Why Now 5
campaigns, let alone platforms which take An Evaluation 6
full advantage of this technology or create deeper,
more meaningful engagements. Why we are Supporting It 8
Applicability 9
The rapid pace of new innovations/trends/inventions
means any document on the subject would be out- • Location Guide / Nike True City 10
of-date by the time it is published. The hope was to • Incentivized Brand Engagement / 11
present more than just the “aggregated data”, but a Gowalla & The New York Nets
bit of inspiration which leads to ideas that delivers
value to brands and users. • Loyalty & Reward Programs / 12
Topshop & tasti D-lite
This document is intended to evaluate this enabling • Training & Orientation / Harvard 13
technology and its possibilities with the realities of
delivering on business objectives from awareness, • Social Responsibility / Gowalla & 14
preference, advocacy creation, and of course the Peet’s Coffee - Hearts for Haiti
overall impact to revenue. China: A Blip on the Radar 15
Douglas Lin Evolving Platforms and Toolsets 16
Head of Digital Strategy Next Steps for Brands & Agencies 17
BBDO/Proximity Singapore
Conclusions 18
douglas.lin@bbdo.com
twitter: dlin Appendix 19
2

3. OVERVIEW
Geosocial networking is social networking utilizing Brands can now play a part in users’ daily lives,
Global Positioning System (GPS) to associate a not through disruption or broadcast means – but
user’s position with their activities. User-submitted through engaging users within the course of their
location data allow social networks to connect everyday lives. Geolocation now allows the “how”
and coordinate users with locales and/or events and the “where”, to go along with the “what” and
that match their interests to enrich the social “why” of marketing communications.
networking experience.
3

4. A BRIEF HISTORY
Two platforms currently dominate the space – As the platforms have evolved, differences have
Foursquare and Gowalla. Both were founded in the become less pronounced as the community has
United States and have become synonymous with helped dictate current and future features and
the current trend of geolocation based social media. development.
At their core, they are very similar and provide However, the space is not limited to these. Twitter,
users with gameplay aspects in the form of Facebook, and Google, among others, now all
collection of “badges” or “pins”, which then include location-based features and capabilities.
translate into “mayorships” or “founders”.
4

5. WHY NOW
Location-based services are not new. As with all social media, it’s less about the
technology and more about user behavior
From smoke signals to drums, the basic principles of
location-based communications extend as far back Geolocation based services have existed for the
as recorded civilization. The current iteration is simply last few years with the introduction of GPS on
a result of existing technology with the latest crop of handsets and cellular triangulation (user location
commercially available products and services. based on mobile tower positions). The technology
has not caused the recent boom in attention, rather
What is new is the cross-roads we are at in which it has been the adoption of game-play, competition,
social media based communication have now incentives and sharing – behaviors people are already
gained mainstream adoption in most of the world. exhibiting in the social media space.
GPS technology now provides a range of new and
interesting possibilities for how people engage with Factors for recent uptake include:
one another – which creates an opportunity for Maturing Social Media populations – comfortable
brands to connect with a variety of different users posting, sharing commenting within digital based
in ways which were difficult if not impossible channels
before-hand. Pervasiveness of 3G networks + GPS Enabled
Smartphones
However, detractors say the current crop of Integration of new platforms with existing Social
location-based platforms appeal to a limited audience Media platforms
of technology enthusiasts and that the encouragement
to announce one’s every move is a foolish breach of A successful strategy, and understanding user insights
privacy, and narcissistic at the same time. are still paramount in utilizing a mobile tactic within
these platforms.
A Precursor?
Nokia viNe
Released: September 2008
Nokia viNe is based on Sports Tracker (a GPS Some potential reasons include:
based sports monitoring application/service)
which tags a user’s content (photos, posts, etc) User base limited to a single manufacturer
including the location and plots your journey platform and specific handset models
on a map. On the website you can look at
and share your journeys, filtering by user, Created a continuous “Journey” as opposed to
place or time. capturing single instances. Requires users to
actively decide to create a thread of participation
There’s also an online widget which you can as opposed to incremental check-ins throughout
place on your blog or Facebook page, allowing their normal daily behavior
others to see what you’ve been up to.
Not tied to existing social media platforms
beyond broadcasting posts. Not targeted
Nokia viNe could be considered a precursor to
“friends” or existing user-defined communities
the modern GPS based Social Media platforms,
but arguably never gained worldwide mass in No ongoing incentives for behavior – either for
terms of adoption or usage. quality or quantity of viNes.
5

6. AN EVALUATION
The current numbers are miniscule in comparison Figure 2: Technology World Wide Statistics
to more established social media platforms like
Facebook and Twitter
Figure 1: Social Media World Wide User Base
Metro specific
Because these current iteration of platforms focus
on cities, and appeal to young, social technorati
urbanites - criticism has been leveled about its
applicability to suburban and rural areas.
However, the potential for growth exists due to the
worldwide increase in smartphone users and the
“Badges” and “Founders” however require mass.
growing access to high speed mobile networks.
And beyond population base – income levels, high-
speed data access, and behavioral trending all lend
Recent data indicates smartphone shipments will
itself more to establishing a core audience within
reach 406.7 million by 2014, and will account for 29
metropolitan regions.
percent of the total global handset market. 6 out of
10 people worldwide now have access to a High
More importantly is the pass-along or “influencer”
Speed Packet Access (HSPA) networks.
effect that tends to originate in urban areas and
ripples outwards, which necessitates focusing on
Technological Trends Support Adoption
this core audience for future growth.
Besides the obvious uptake in location-based social
media platforms, other international trends support a
positive outlook for adoption.
“Foursquare’s potential limitations become
clear. The game mechanics--badges, points,
Maturation/Continual growth of Social
“mayorship” crowns--and ability to source
Media platforms
tips and recommendations from the app give
Smartphone Sales and Adoption it a little bit of an edge above just finding your
Netbook/Tablet based computing options friends. But many of the badges themselves--
Pervasiveness of readily available Wifi 10 different pizzerias, five different Starbucks
3G+ Network adoption coffee shops, a venue where at least 50 other
Foursquare users are checked in--are best
suited to dense urban areas, too.”
Caroline McCarthy
CNET News.com
April 20, 2010
6

7. AN EVALUATION
Global urbanization continue an upwards trend.
As of 2008, over half the world’s population now Foursquare and Gowalla
live in urban areas, and while “More Developed
Countries” still maintain the highest overall To date, Foursquare and Gowalla have
percentages of city dwellers, the next few decades enjoyed the most mainstream success in
will see large scale growth in the “less and least” the United States and Western European
developing world – particularly in Africa and Asia markets, with increasing adoption in Europe,
where the urban population numbers will double Asia, and Australasia – specifically in larger
between 2000 and 2030. metropolitan areas.
It is estimated that by 2030, cities in the developing The majority of brand participants have been
world will make up 81 per cent of all urban humanity. with companies with a physical retail footprint
– from local coffee shops to multinational
chains like Starbucks. Secondary brand
Figure 3: World Wide Urbanization Trends / Forecast participants have been content channels
– TV, magazines, etc.
Recent figures indicate businesses are
offering more than 2,100+ discounts or
giveaways to Foursquare users as of
May 2010
Starbucks has recently announced the
first-ever nationwide mayor special
with Foursquare
April 2010, Foursquare signs-up the millionth
user of its location-based software
Foursquare reportedly added over 15,000
users a day as of May 20, 2010
Gowalla announced a partnership with
National Geographic and The Washington
Considerations Post promoting a new service feature
Potential hurdles include the integration of monitoring,
reporting, and analytics. With an increase in the
quantity of platforms – common metrics and
integration with social media, traditional site and
media statistics will further cloud the criteria for
business “success”.
Additionally, potential privacy issues and government
regulations could stifle growth.
7

8. WHY WE ARE SUPPORTING IT
The distinction between “who we are” within a “digital” technologically savvy users through the introduction
and “real” space was more of a marketing construct of of geo-location features into existing channels.
our imagination and was precarious at best.
Emphasis will become less platform dependent – as
Social media based technologies have simply made long as content is readily and freely accessible. This is
us more effective at maintaining relationships far because open Application Protocol Interfaces (APIs)
greater than we could through face-to-face or analog are now the norm, allowing users to access data
channels. More importantly, it has allowed users to outside of the fixed confines of a platform. For example,
leverage their own spheres of influence to broadcast Foursquare data now readily appears and can be
individually or create groundswell as part of a larger accessed on Facebook, Twitter, Google Buzz, LinkedIn
group (community). etc. Regardless of the platform – distributed content
models will allow users to participate from within their
Foursquare and Gowalla are the current market own preferred platform(s).
leaders. But major online properties including Google,
Facebook, and Twitter have all recently added their As status updates to tweets evolve, check-ins are fast
own location-based service offerings. As opposed to becoming an instilled user behavior. Leveraging this
muddling the waters, the entry by these players will behavior is the first opportunity for the development of
bring an increased awareness and adoption by less a virtual for brands to build engagement on.
Apple Patent Developments
On May 13, 2010 the US Patent & Trademark Office published a new location-based system from Apple.
The new technology allows content to automatically appear and disappear via an application on the
user’s mobile device based on their physical location of the handset.
The two examples demonstrate this potentially powerful delivery mechanism:
Example 1: Restaurant
A user approaches a restaurant.
User Comes Into Range
The handset automatically receives
realtime data from the restaurant including: Location
Location Server
Mobile Device Display
Information Identifies
Wait time for a table Information
Communicated Content based
Receives Content on
Identified Information Mobile Device
to Server Information
Menu including any daily specials
Example 2: Library
As you enter a public library,
The entire card catalog including the status User Leaves Range
of all books/media currently available is
Location Server Content
downloaded to your device. Location
Information Identifies
Mobile Device
no Longer
Information Deletes
Communicated Content based Available on
The day’s events Identified
to Server Information
Information
Mobile Device
Calendar of events
Status updates for any books the user has
on-hold, overdue, etc
The value of the system is that once you leave the area, all the location’s data disappears from your device.
The potential applicability for brands is obviously significant.
8

9. APPLICABILITY
Geolocation platforms on mobile handsets
extends the bridge from social media into the
physical world.
2
Educate
Marketers have always utilized data such as
demographic and psychographic information
to segment and target influencers through
to prime consumer prospects. Location
will become another (albeit very powerful)
attribute for marketers to better target
their audiences. 1 4
Personalized communications content Awareness Response
based on user profiles and activity in the
digital and physical space
Removal of barriers to facilitate user/
brand engagement
3
Improved engagement based on segment
Brand Affinity
usage patterns
Increased depth of content, including user
1 Awareness
generated/requested
Geo-location platforms can help create awareness
of event/product(s) through providing proximity
Communication frequency and content
information.
based on user self-selection and activity
Extends branded communications through social
media channels.
Best practices learned in existing Social
Media development including research,
measurement and insights – allow users 2 Educate
to refine and define engagements – are Brands create and users contribute information
all still applicable and require a financial which can be presented based on proximity,
and operational investment in ongoing thereby creating an interactive web of knowledge.
monitoring, content development, and
platform evolution.
3 Brand Affinity
Brands have another channel to showcase
their core values and product strengths.
Unlike traditional word-of-mouth, social media
based user advocacy is recorded and can be
leveraged over time.
Furthers reach for audiences to engage with
the brand.
4 Response
By understanding a user’s behavior (time, location)
with a brand, targeted incentives and promotions
can be communicated, further bolstering purchase
intentions or increasing product trials.
9

10. LOCATION GUIDE / NIKE TRUE CITY
Nike developed the “True City” iPhone application (or most popular) will have an opportunity to join the
to provide information on various European cities, team of Nike insiders. It appears that Nike is reaching
created by “Nike experts”. It engaged users by for an army of hyper-local, mobile-connected advocates.
allowing them to update content with their view of
what a “true city” should be – to combine social In addition, a QR code reader allows users to unlock
elements with current mobile technologies to create secrets around the city. Events were announced
a next-gen city and travel guide. through these QR codes, giving an added social
incentive for being the first to be in the know. The
With each city comes a host ‘tastemaker’ to guide app reveals where new Nike events are taking
users to lesser known community attractions. For place, where there are secret QR-codes in each
Paris, it is BKRW founder Jay Smith. However, city or even new Nike products to be launched,
Jay’s perspective alone is not enough, as an addition creating an interesting community where you can
to each host there is a second tier of designated be rewarded on your own or by sharing to the rest
contributors and a third of so called ‘civilian’ of users. All content can be shared via Facebook.
contributors. Everyone is encouraged to add their
own finds, geo-tagged, throughout a city. The best,
1 Awareness 2 Educate 3 Brand Affinity 4 Response
10

11. INCENTIVIZED BRAND ENGAGEMENT /
GOWALLA & THE NEW YORK NETS
On April 2, 2010, Gowalla released a post on their Gowalla users found the reward of a Nets ticket a
blog to officially launch a campaign which gave new and different experience. The campaign brought
Gowalla users the opportunity to win a pair of a demographic the New Jersey Nets would never
tickets (out of 250 pairs) for a New Jersey Nets have reached in the first place.
(a National Basketball Association Franchise)
game. The campaign targeted sports-themed and Geolocation could open up experiential and event
outdoor locations in order to reach an audience opportunities. Contest winners help create word-
that was either enthusiastic about sports or active. of-mouth awareness for followers, and engage
To extend the experience, virtual goods redeemable during events providing content (photos, video,
for memorabilia would be given out during the game. and commentary) to enhance the experience for
attendees – including non-users of these platforms.
To leverage the traffic and create an extension of They also provide valuable insights and options post
the platform, winners were directed to a Gowalla event, which can be used for future seeding activities
branded table where they were rewarded with for follow-up campaigns.
t-shirts, stickers, and their tickets. They were also
reminded to check-in to the event to have a chance
to win one of several jerseys the Nets provided for
the campaign. During the game, pictures were taken
and many public Twitter messages highlighted the
user experience.
The campaign was able to drive attendance to the
game. 15.2% of Gowalla users who redeemed virtual
tickets came to the game and brought a friend, family
member, or significant other with them.
Many of these attendees then spent money on parking,
concessions, and merchandise. The user experience
continued at the game. 89.5% of winners in attendance
checked in upon arrival and were actively engaged
because of the ability to win a reward.
1 Awareness 2 Educate 3 Brand Affinity 4 Response
11

12. LOYALTY & REWARD PROGRAMS /
TOPSHOP & tasti D-lite
Topshop tasti D-Lite
Singaporean fashion retailer Topshop rewards its New York healthy dessert chain tasti D-Lite developed
consumers for engagement within the Foursquare a virtual loyalty card – the mechanics of which are
platform. Users who check-in and provide a tip for very similar to a traditional stamp or punch cards.
the brand receive a reward of $10 redeemable on
the spot with a minimum $80 spend. The Mayor of But by utilizing social media platforms, users who opt-in
a location gets a $15 item (limited to every Tuesday can update their Facebook and Twitter status by
from 2pm, once a day). On an ongoing basis, automatically checking in on Foursquare at articipating
weekly fashion mayors get to win a host of exciting tasti D-lite outlets. Loyalty points however are earned
merchandise every week at all participating outlets. for purchases by each for each social network connection
you set up.
The brand extended beyond Foursquare into Twitter
and Facebook to include developing communities by tasti D-lite is able to leverage social media to create
incentivizing follower and fan signups. By joining the brand awareness and advocacy by developing the
“Fashion Fast Forward” Facebook fan page, users “word-of-mouth mechanics”. The existing user
could win “gift cards”. behavior, of visiting a retail outlet is augmented by
the value exchange – customers get points towards
Topshop extended their Foursquare activities with a future purchase, the brand gets more visits and a
campaign called “Snappin’ Surprise” which focuses share of the user’s voice.
on the lull or the “rest break” during the shopping
experience. Topshop focused the activity around the
the comfy “lounge chairs”. This behavior targets those
with a higher propensity for engagement – as well as
a more highly technology engaged male segment.
Users could engage by:
Commenting on photos of the “rest spots”, including
guessing the retail location you think these chairs are at.
Visit retailers and and check-in on Foursquare
Winners (one per chair) received a physical Foursquare
badge and a Topshop/Topman gift card.
1 Awareness 2 Educate 3 Brand Affinity 4 Response
12

13. TRAINING & ORIENTATION / HARVARD
American Ivy League university Harvard created friends, professors, and colleagues in new ways.
a campus-based game that rewards students We also hope visitors and neighbors will benefit
with badges and points for exploring the school from the platform as it grows through use.”
and surrounding places of interest. The service
enables students and visitors to explore the For brands, the use of geolocation creates the
campus and surrounding neighborhoods while opportunity to develop induction or orientation
sharing information about their favorite places and programs. Potential uses include internal training
culminate into a Harvard specific badge. and development, where physical location can be
tied into specific training programs.
“Harvard is more than classrooms and buildings.
It is an interconnected community of people, ideas, It can also be utilized to create branded journeys
and experiences, and we are actively pursuing for consumers. Similar to guided “audio tours” at
ways to enhance those connections,” said Perry museums – which aren’t intended to replace, but
Hewitt, Director of Digital Communications and augment experiences, location-based check-ins
Communications Services for Harvard Public Affairs can be used to extend beyond a single physical
and Communications. “We believe that Harvard’s location with potential ties into sponsorships .
participation will allow our community to engage with
1 Awareness 2 Educate 3 Brand Affinity 4 Response
13

14. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY / GOWALLA &
PEET’S COFFEE - HEARTS FOR HAITI
Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Gowalla Checking-in at charity events could provide an
partnered with Bay Area businesses Peet’s Coffee opportunity for targeted engagement based on
& Tea and Alice Radio to create a benefit campaign common beliefs and values. For example, at a lung
called “Hearts for Haiti.” cancer 10K run, brands like Johnson & Johnson
could provide Nicorette offers and information to
For every user who checked-in on Gowalla on help smokers quit. Or checking-in at a set number of
February 8th, 2010, at two designated Peet’s retail specified “Green” location could unlock incentives for
outlets – $50 would be donated to the American Red a brand’s sustainability programs.
Cross. Peet’s also donated 10% of all sales made at
the two locations during the effort. Volunteer recruitment could also use this channel to
broadcast requests. A “We still need volunteers” tip
Brands focused on Social Responsibility programs at a specific location extends reach and provides real-
could utilize location-based platforms to incentivize time updating capability for organizations. This also
and track consumer behavior. By engaging in has applicability for employee recruiting as well.
sponsored or approved activities, brands could provide
virtual incentives similar to cause “Ribbon” pins.
1 Awareness 2 Educate 3 Brand Affinity 4 Response
14

15. CHINA: A Blip on The Radar
Geolocation based social media has seen a rapid Central to Gowalla and Foursquare’s burgeoning
take-off in America & Europe, as well as the tech- success has been the integration with Facebook and
savvy nations in the Asia Pacific region such as Twitter, both of which are banned from the regular
Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore. In China where the Chinese netizen. The key to unlocking the platform
“Great Firewall” resides, we are also beginning to within China (and other markets with limited access
observe inroads being made into the market. and restrictions) could be based on integrating
with the local government sanctioned social media
In December 2009, numbers on the Foursquare platforms. However, the potential issues of user
platform hit 500, and has seen steady growth. privacy data as well as the political and PR fall-out
In Beijing & Shanghai, tech-savvy users have with users in other markets could outweigh any
managed to get Foursquare working within their commercial benefits.
personal Virtual Private Networks (VPN). These tech-
savvy users invest personal time to stay informed
and updated on the latest happenings on the slew of
social media products hitting the market.
On June 4, 2010 China blocked access to Foursquare. It is believed to be tied to the upcoming 21st Anniversary of the Democratic Protests
at Tianamen Square, and the number of check-ins and “Tips” critical of the Chinese government. It is unknown whether this is temporary or
will remain permanent.
15

16. EVOLVING PLATFORMS AND TOOLSETS
Retail/Brand Dashboard
With the overall focus on analytics and reporting,
Foursquare has recently introduced a Retailer
Dashboard which gives business owners access to a
range of information and statistics about Foursquare
visitors to their establishments.
This includes:
Who has “checked-in”
When they arrived
Male-to-female visitor ratio
Active times of day per visitor type
Ability to offer instant promotions to try to engage
new customers and keep current ones.
Staff can also engage directly with users via the tool.
Users have the ability to set privacy settings to opt-out
and keep their information private.
White Label – Private Geo-location Platforms
San Francisco based DoubleDutch has introduced The level of customization allows for more specific
a white-label platform for developing branded and locales (an office within a building) and can include
closed networks. The company provides custom- real-time mapping and live streams based on user
built check-in applications, and has just announced activity. It also includes a pre-existing database of
two new features: reviews and content which reduces the burden of
content creation and maintenance.
Conferences: A networking app that helps
conference attendees network and share
knowledge.
Universities: A mobile social network that allows
university students the ability to share location
and info with each other under the privacy of their
university’s community.
The value of the system is it creates “micro-communities”
outside of a user’s personal profiles on existing Social
Media platforms based on either locale or common
(business) purpose. So for conferences – you
would be able to engage with a group of attendees
without the external chatter and provide a level of
control specific to the organization’s needs.
16

17. NEXT STEPS FOR BRANDS & AGENCIES
Consumer preferences on brand awareness and Potential geolocation services in mobile have to
perception can be of significant value in developing deal with a high uncertainty regarding consumers’
processes for innovative products and services. acceptance and intensity in use – but is appropriate
for specific audience segments or strategies with
innovation based objectives.
Near Term Tactics/Extensions
Extending traditional Advertising campaigns Experiential
One of the most obvious short term tactics For brands already engaging consumers with
is to utilize location-based check-ins for “integrated” campaigns including experiential
experiential based campaign activities. Creation elements, location-based technology augments
of event specific “badges” and incentivized the role SMS has been fulfilled. Outdoor/Display
user engagement is a low risk mechanic – both advertising interaction can utilize location-based
financially and for brand reputation. It also allows services to allow users to interact with dynamic
brands who are less active in the social media media and target personalized messaging
space to identify leads and target users with
broader influence for future campaigns and Media
ongoing engagement. Media opportunities exist beyond targeted offers
within the platform. Aggregated location check-
By requiring event check-in, and allowing users in data can be used to define media strategy for
to move beyond posting their own content, a tech-oriented audience and mobile specific
geolocation platforms allow users to start behavior. Out-of-home digital placements could
engaging directly with the active community use surrounding area check-in data to help target
participating at the event, as well as potentially ad placements and personalize incentives and
with users viewing via digital channels from afar. offers based on nearby users. For example, when
ten users check-in nearby, digital signage can be
FMCG/CPG Tie-Ins triggered to display targeted advertising based on
For consumer package good companies with an aggregation of their profiles.
defined retail distribution, the opportunity exists to
target users with e-couponing and/or promotional
tie-ins. The ability to directly engage users, either
independently or partnered with retailers, creates
the opportunity to develop behavior-based
engagement – for example – if a user checks into
a supermarket or convenience store, a brand can
offer an incentive for purchase – even targeting
traditional lulls in purchase either by date or even
to time of day or event.
17

18. CONCLUSIONS
Like any emerging technology based consumer As the adoption of this technology becomes
trends, location-based social media has its mainstream, brands need to identify how to
advocates and detractors. The arguments against position themselves within the user’s behavior to
however are very similar in nature to the same ones intercept them with relevant and valuable branded
previously directed at other technologies which in communications. Integration of communications
hindsight have proven (mostly) unfounded. channels resulting in a comprehensive engagement
platform where digital (online, mobile, etc) and “real”
So long as the technology is consistent and world activities work in concert
compliments existing human behavior, the
applicability will find a place with users – whether Geolocation based social media is nothing to be
niche or mass. scared of. But whatever innovation paths brands
choose to follow, education and training for the
The more relevant argument is which platform(s) customer-focused staff to deliver on the user
and aspects of the current iteration are likely to experience must be developed in parallel. A great
live beyond this initial growth phase. Gameplay online user experience doesn’t mitigate, it magnifies
and badges are the first steps, and while they the expectation of an exceptional brand experience.
have been successful for pushing the platforms
in themselves, for brands – the opportunity is in “The future as always belongs to the brave”
how to partner with these technologies to develop Bill Bernbach
the next evolution for what these technologies can
deliver. Hopefully the examples provide a glimpse
of the possibilities.
While never a sure bet, geolocation based social
media provides more direct tangible business
benefits. It is also less risky than proprietary platforms
and properties requiring large capital and operational
investments and is a natural progression for brands
already (or about to enter) the social media space.
18

19. APPENDIX
19

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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/05/13/businessinsider-gowalla-partners-with-national-
geographic-and-the-washington-post-on-cool-new-feature-2010-5.DTL
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/news/item/8088_Nokia_ViNe-Practical_or_Pointl.php
http://thenextweb.com/us/2010/04/29/doubledutch-custom-geolocation-apps-small-groups/
http://thesymbianblog.com/2009/10/13/ovi-journeys-the-evolution-of-sportstracker-is-coming/
http://www.slideshare.net/VilleTiggert/trends-framework-1142768
http://www.slideshare.net/vaynermedia/early-proof-that-geolocation-marketing-will-succeed
http://gowalla.com/blog/2010/02/gowalla-peets-coffee-tea-97-3-radio-alice-hearts-for-haiti/
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2010/05/apple-reveals-a-powerful-location-based-service-for-
the-iphone.html
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2010/0120450.html
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