Its not what you know, its where you heard it.

Location based marketing is all the rage. Since mobile technology has changed the way we disseminate information, more and more companies are making themselves accessible to the public by incorporating mobile options in their strategies. Location based marketing has one very distinct advantage...a captive audience.

Although the traditional "take-aim-from-the-hip" marketing approach has become as refined as possible, there is still a grey area between the marketing message and the recipient. Its the filter between the billboard and the person stuck in traffic. Again. That's the challenge for any good marketer I suppose, minimise the grey. That's one of the big draw cards for location based marketing, you're talking to prospective clients when they need a talking to.

The other advantage for a location-based marketer is that you've created something of a hostage situation. Its like you have a whole host of money clutching, grumpy children under ten trapped in the sweet-lined aisle on the way to the tills. There's no way out. Suddenly, the impulse buyer in them grabs the assortment of "happiness is" messages and there you go...Sold! To the sticky, whiny two eyed monster/consumer junkie at the back of the queue!

Now, its not that simple I will admit, but then again, nothing is. Most companies and consumers actually do want to give and receive quality services, products and messages. Location-based marketing shouldn't be thought of as "trickery" but rather saying the right thing at the right time. Its challenging but necessary, to maintain the boundary between useful marketing messages and invasive, "Drinks Specials at Some-Sh*tty-Bar. Come and get your apple sours shooter." Whatever. Messages like that make no impact on me, firstly because they send that mass sms on Tuesday mornings when I'm at Pilates, secondly, I am never anywhere near the said bar. Apple sours? I'm not their target audience.

Now, if I was driving along the Atlantic Seaboard, wondering where I should meet a pilot and have a Saturday night cocktail, I might get an sms from a local hotel bar telling me that it is, indeed, happy hour. I had signed up once with the swanky hotel bar after staying there a couple of nights. What are my options? Stop and have a drink. Or head to the other place with an endless supply of apple sours.

The way to avoid bombarding prospective clients with messages they don't want is to get them to "opt-in." There is a little residual hesitant opting in but on the whole at least you are more assured of talking to who you want to talk to than not.

In short, location-based media (LBM)is the vehicle that will deliver your message when you need it delivered. Apart from the advantages of impulse, it has the drive of immediacy. The technology age means that we're constantly engaged in the transmission of information - usually by cell phones. The other side of it is that our tolerance for time has lessened. So now, we want it when we want it.

An explanation published on Wikipedia had this to say..."Media content is managed and organised externally of the device on a standard desktop or laptop. The device then downloads this formatted content with GPS coordinated triggers applied to each media sequence. As the location-aware device enters the selected area, satellites trigger the assigned media, designed to be of optimal relevance to the user and their surroundings."

Location based media allows for the enhancement of any given environment offering explanation, analysis and detailed commentary on what the user is looking at through a combination of video, audio, images and text. The location-aware device can deliver interpretation of cities, parklands, heritage sites, sporting events or any other environment where location based media is required.

The content production and pre-production are integral to the overall experience that is created and must have been performed with ultimate consideration of the location and the users position within that location. The media offers a depth to the environment beyond that which is immediately apparent, allowing revelations about background, history and current topical feeds.

With a host of LBM options available to businesses of almost every size and nature, the possibilities are once again endless. Visit www.hummba.com to see how your business can benefit from location based marketing.