One of the the reasons I loathe AdAge is how slow they are. If you’re reading something in AdAge there’s a good chance you’re about 3 months behind. A lot of my colleagues and clients are all a flutter about this article titled, Forget Foursquare: Why Location Marketing Is New Point Of Sale. Well thank your AdAge for insight that I covered last April 2009 in a post titled It’s Not Who You Are – It’s Where You Are. This is what I wrote back then:
Lately, it seems people are catching religion and evolving beyond pure demographics. My feeling is that we’re just about ready to jump on the “where are consumers” band wagon. Tools like Loopt and BrightKite cater specifically this concept. They allow users to see where are other users are. The new version of AOL Instant Messenger and Tweetie apps for the iPhone both offer the ability to see where other users of that app are. The applications and tools are nice, but it’s the sophistication of mobile devices and their adoption by consumers that are enabling this shift to happen. Hell, the iPhone has built in GPS so that you always know exactly where you are.
I’m a big time fourSquare fan. I think they’ve nailed the right combination of sharing, gaming, context, simplicity, and user experience. I’ve played with Gowalla, Loopt, Loopt Mix, BrightKite, Google Latitude and a whole host of other location based social platforms. Part of the reason for the success of these platforms is the ability to leverage them on-the-go. Today, on-the-go means mobile it doesn’t mean a laptop. The computing power in devices like the Nexus One make mobile a tremendously capable platform and marketing channel. The one aspect of the AdAge article I do agree with is that we shouldn’t just be focusing on specific networks, platforms, or apps. The key is to have a comprehensive local strategy. That local strategy might lead you to fourSquare, but it also might push you to Yelp! or something basic like geo-focused SEM.
At the intersection of mobile and social is the ability to broadcast our lives directly from our pocket. Those tweets, check-ins, and status updates create a rich stream of content for marketers to leverage. Many believe that the “need” to keep our friends and the community at large in the loop is an indication of our vanity. Sure, for some, status updating is all about status. But, I believe for the majority of us we’re not looking to win a popularity contest, we’re simply looking to be found.
Let’s face it, most of us aren’t cool. We desire connection. We desire to know we matter. Being found validates our existence. As the old saying goes, to the world you are someone, but to someone you are the world. When we’re found we transform from just someone to someone’s world.
Of course this only happens if you’re listening.
Head of Social Media at Walgreens. Interactive marketer, innovator, boat rocker, continuous learner, movie lover, risk taker, dad and all around good guy. I'm always up for a spirited conversation. These are my thoughts and ramblings, not those of my employer.
