Research conducted last year revealed that 73% of marketing executives consider AI and technology dependent on AI as crucial to the future of marketing. With the rise of customer-tailored, hyper-personalized engagement across social media channels, brands today have harnessed the latest in chatbot, intelligence, and data science to humanize what was once a cold, robotic connection. Improvements in geolocation technology for mobile users add to this robust stack of automated marketing tools. Consumers can now opt for location-based experiences securely and efficiently, allowing brands to target key audience segments at the right place and in real time.
Going viral with Geolocation-based Augmented Reality
Most marketers will agree that the 2016 launch of the augmented reality, geolocation-based viral mobile game Pokemon Go was a massive achievement in utilizing GPS driven AR in the consumer space. Kids and adults from 6 to 60 were leaving their beloved console and PC games and abandoning traditional mobile experiences in favor of the wildly successful Niantic launch, available on iPhone and Android. Dubbed as a real-world adventure experience, the Pokemon Go app was the first of its kind, successfully combining augmented reality and geolocation-based mobile technology with engaging, personalized user experience. Geolocation became, almost overnight, the next marketing buzzword.
Location-based advertising meets Art And AI
The following year, consumer product giant L’oreal also adopted geolocation-driven augmented reality to create a virtual art exhibit. The 2017 exhibition powered by CrowdOptic technology allowed consumers who were physically within the determined location to view artwork with their mobile device. The experience was innovative and engaging for users and allowed L’oreal marketers to collect real-time data, on demand, from exhibit attendees. This modern take on brand advertising is not just a novelty; data gathered from the event likely revealed how long consumers interacted with the ad and remained in the location. Marketers know that these targeted insights can inform and improve future campaigns and decrease customer acquisition costs, among other things.
Looking forward with Predictive Analytics and Location-based offers
Looking towards next year, expect marketers to compliment geolocation tech with predictive analytics and artificial intelligence. The intersection of context and location data will allow marketers to anticipate a target consumer’s next move reliably. Marketers agree that one of the biggest mistakes a brand can make is being too promotional, and not tailoring an ad experience to the right customer at the right time. Sophisticated algorithms can now predict when a consumer is likely to take a specific action or behavior, and location-based offers can be served to the consumer in real-time on their smartphone. These hyper-personalized, contextual marketing campaigns become a seamless user experience and all but guarantee a receptive, motivated customer.
The last several years have seen critical improvements in geolocation technology, aided by developments in AI, AR, and analytics. Marketers now have robust tools available to create innovative, unique campaigns that feel more like an experience than an advertisement. Technology has vastly changed the landscape of modern marketing, providing abundant opportunities for insightful growth. Combined with consumer data and machine learning algorithms, marketers will soon be able to anticipate exactly what a target customer needs, as well as when and where they will need it.
