What’s up with Location-Based Services?

It’s been long time since I wrote about ‘Location-Based Services’ on my blog. Thinking this, I was curious to understand the status of LBS in current scenario. This post will answer few curious questions that directed the flow of my endeavor to satisfy my curiosity. So without wasting anytime let’s see if LBS buzz has lived up to it’s expectations in this dynamic wireless era.

What is the status of the overall global LBS industry?

According to a recent study by Gartner Inc., The worldwide users of Location-Based Services are set to double to 95.7 million in 2009, up from 41 million a year ago, which should result in over $2 billion in revenue. “The LBS industry has matured rapidly in recent months through a mixture of consolidation, improved price/performance of the enabling technologies and compelling location applications,” said Annette Zimmermann, senior research analyst at Gartner.

Is there any demand for the LBS based apps? And what are the opportunities for advertisers and carriers?

Recently Compete launched a Smartphone Intelligence report that highlights few findings related to the above mentioned questions. 1 in 3 smartphone owners currently use a Location-Based Service at least once a month. In addition to this, 20% smartphone users expressed possible interest in using LBS if they knew more about what was available and how to use them. The below mentioned char shows some specific types of LBS apps that are being used now:

As we can see, weather & navigation based apps are a hit with the current LBS users. It also turns out that consumers are interested in getting local alerts and special offers or promotions from nearby stores or other retailers. This  interest in ‘local alerts & special offers’ present a wonderful opportunity for advertisers to reap the rewards by serving  these users with relevant ad content that will most likely see higher clickthrough rates! Surely looks like a valuable tool for the advertising networks!

Is greater interest in local  services like alerts,  ATM, restaurant reviews, special offers etc. a consequence of recession? Surely looks like that to me, with increased number of household with tight pockets, greater interest in “Local”  does not surprise me. People are surely limiting city-to-city travel and have started exploring more options available in their own city. Isn’t it? As more and more people venture out in their own city, they become more likely to use LBS to explore local restaurants, events, store locations, etc.

The report also states that, LBS services are also important to mobile carriers. It is because smartphone owners who use LBS are more likely to spend more money each month on their total wireless bill.

Also, 24% of Smartphone users have spent anywhere from $10-$50 for a single application, while 28% have spent between $5-10 on a single app. So LBS definitely looks like a gold mine for advertising networks, service providers and the mobile carriers! Only thing to look is the way revenue is shared by these parties in the future.

Talking about future, what does the future for LBS look like?

As it is very apparent that greater availability of GPS phones, reduced prices, and flourishing app stores arena have all contributed to the rapid growth of location tools. Gartner, Inc. also predicts that free Location-Based Services will gain further traction, with 40% to 50% of all users in North America and Western Europe using these tools in the next four years.

Apple’s App Store has proven itself a hot commodity. It features more than 35,000 applications available to consumers in 77 countries, enabling developers, including retailers, to reach tens of millions of iPhone and iPod Touch users. – Internet Retailer.

LBS subscribers forecast by ABI Research

Looks like the relevance of LBS will keep on growing till the development of new mobile devices & mobile operating systems used in NetBooks keep on evolving. And as LBS goes mainstream data plan will also reduce considerably, surely LBS has a great future!

I couldn’t have asked for a better video to end my post! CNN reporter Susan Candiotti explains  the pros & cons of  Location-Based Marketing.

GE incorporates Augmented Reality in new advertising campaign for 2009

Just over a month ago I posted an article on Mini’s Augmented Reality Ad, now it seems GE has also joined the AR brigade along with Nissan, Volvo & Mini.

This film demonstrates how GE will leverage augmented reality technology to tell a story about Smart Grid.

This effort is a part of GE’s new advertising campaign called “NOW” to be launched during Super Bowl today on February 1, 2009. The theme of the campaign is “innovation you don’t have to wait for.” As per information on GE 2009 Advertising Overview, the campaign will incorporate three themes including ecomagination, healthcare and Global Research, with a key focus on Smart Grid technologies.. GE will use television, print, and digital mediums to tell this story:

Television – Super Bowl advertisement

• For the first time, GE will advertise on the Super Bowl with a 30-second ad called “Scarecrow” that focuses on Smart Grid technology
• Smart Grid is a vision for a smarter, more efficient, and sustainable electrical energy grid that GE technology is helping to bring to life and represents GE´s latest example of “ecomagination” at work
• The ad is a modern take on the classic song, “If I Only Had A Brain,” from the film The Wizard of Oz, imagining what can happen when old technologies have a brain and become smarter
• The ad is created by BBDO New York, GE´s long-time agency partner for more than 80 years
• The commercial was directed by Traktor and employs the latest computer and digital technology from Framestore
• The ad is scheduled to appear on US television networks including NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, CNN, Bravo, USA, SciFi, Comedy Central, Discovery and ESPN after the Super Bowl

Digital

• GE is incorporating breakthrough technology called augmented reality that will be featured on its new microsite – PlugIntoTheSmartGrid.com
• Augmented reality is technology that augments real-world elements with digital holograms, so consumers can see a digital hologram of Smart Grid technology come to life in their hands
• This is the first time that augmented reality technology has been used to interact with a consumer in an advertising effort
• Banner advertisements, print ads, and web films will drive consumers to the microsite to experience the augmented reality technology
• The digital campaign was created by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners

Print

• GE is launching an extensive global print and outdoor campaign
• Print and outdoor ads are focused on three areas:
  • Ecomagination: highlights GE´s renewable technologies
  • Healthcare: demonstrates how GE is providing worldwide healthcare solutions such as x-rays in China and ECG technology in rural India
  • Global Research: evaluates what the world needs and discusses how GE innovates solutions to redefine what´s possible
• The ads are created by BBDO New York and will run in publications such as the New York Times, Financial Times, Fortune, and Wired

Click on the image for a Sneak Peak of the commercial & brand’s integrated efforts to extend the Ecomagination campaign in 2009

Everyone wants a Wii…. (including me)

iPhone ruled 2008. With series of product launch, is it BlackBerry for 2009?

Research In Motion (RIMM) and Apple (AAPL) continue their smart phone battle for the hearts and minds of consumers, according to the latest ChangeWave survey of 3,803 cell phone owners released Monday. Research suggests, new product launches (Storm, Bold & Flip) by BlackBerry have led to a  jump in consumer planned buying that suggests a full-scale battle with Apple for market supremacy in 2009.

About the Survey:

The ChangeWave survey was conducted between December 9 & December 15. The survey takes a close look at smart phone market trends, including consumer reaction to RIM’s launch of the BlackBerry Storm and how it compares to the Apple iPhone.

Current Market Share:

Apple (23%; up 6-pts) has witnessed explosive growth – up 6-pts just since September. Importantly, its overall market share has more than doubled in the past six months – a direct result of the late-June release of the 3G iPhone.

Participants planned purchase:

Blackberry features in 39% of participants purchase plan over next three months, this is up by 9 points from September. Meanwhile, the wave of enthusiasm that greeted the iPhone 3G seems to have settled down; only 30% plan to buy an Apple smartphone, down by 4 points from September.

Research also shows that an iPhone 3G buyer is way more satisfied than a BlackBerry Storm buyer. One question is, does RIM have enough to capitalize on the increased consumer interest? or will it be a lost opportunity? only time will tell. But as things are going, Apple is leaving no stone unturned. Currently ‘Expanding the distribution Channel’ is the flavor of the season at Apple Camp.

Wal-Mart Partnership!

Wal-Mart confirmed Friday what everyone who follows Apple already knew: that it will begin selling Apple’s iPhone 3G at nearly 2,500 Wal-Mart stores starting Sunday Dec. 28 — three days after Christmas. (read full article)

As per Apple 2.0 on CNN.com… “The move represents the fourth major expansion of the iPhone’s retail presence outside Apple’s own 200-plus stores.The phone was sold first at AT&T’s (T) 2,000 retail outlets then at nearly 1,000 Best Buy (BBY) outlets, and then at the tens of thousands of points of sale (many of them no more than mom-and-pop kiosks) that carry iPhones for Apple’s overseas partners.”

With all these things, This is the time for RIM to buckle up loose ends & capitalize on the opportunity.

This christmas even E-Commerce figures goes red…

Consumer web spending dropped 4% so far in November versus the same period last year — the first time e-commerce figures have shown a year-to-year drop. Consumers spent an estimated $8.19 billion online over the first 23 days of the month, compared to $8.51 billion a year ago.

Weekly online holiday retail sales in millions ($)

‘Cyber Monday’: With love from online retailers

Online retailers are planning a promotional blitz to recoup some lost sales on the so-called “Cyber Monday,” the Monday after Thanksgiving, when consumers return to work, boot up their computers, and presumably start to think of all the shopping they have to get done.

In a holiday survey conducted this fall by Shopzilla, 83.7% of retailers will have a special promotion for Cyber Monday, up from 72.2% last year. The most popular tactics? Specific deals (38.8%), e-mail campaigns (32.7%) and one-day sales (24.5%). Additionally, almost a quarter of retailers are offering free shipping.
Consumers Speaks…. on cnn.com [results of CNN's quick vote as of 5.13pm (EST) 11/27/2008]

WOW….. CNN reports elections via HOLOGRAM!!!

did you hear that? 3 weeks of set up & 35 HD cameras covering each & every angle of the body… it is indeed remarkable! That must have cost them a bomb. But, excites me to the core & is absolutely very interesting to see Holograms being used on Mass Network, just wondering if this trigger wil lead to something super cool. Lets wait & watch.

If you remember Nov 4′s CNN telecast, they even had a Virtual White House. I believe CNN is up to something big.