As I drove down the road yesterday, with my new GPS and my Sidekick side by side – always-on “where am I?” next to always-on Internet, it hit me – the next big thing from the Internet advertising point of view is going to be this: the convergence of always-on Internet and GPS in one device. Internet and GPS convergence with push technology.
Ads pushed to your device, based on your location.
(As a sidenote, this is not all that unlike a technology already rolled out in limited areas – so far – pushing ads to cell phones.)
All the pieces are already in place – they just haven’t been put together – yet. Google has been doing geolocation based ads for years, based on the IP address of the user. And there are already widely available devices which are always on the Internet as part of their standard operating, such as the Sidekick and the Blackberry, . These devices are capable of having data pushed to them – they are directly connected, and in fact already have data pushed to them (email, for example). And of course GPS is starting to gain broad adoption in the consumer market. As more and more people want it, building it into an Internet device is the logical next step.
So now come with me and imagine the unholy love child of the Sidekick and the Garmin. The always-on-the-Internet device, loaded with full-flavoured GPS.
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Here’s how it will look:
You’re driving along, you hit your GPS for a list of restaurants in the area, and the next moment an ad for Pizza Hut pops up on your screen – the Pizza Hut that’s just around the corner. In fact, the ad says “Piping hot pizza just around the corner at Pizza Hut! Turn left at the next light.”
Heck, you probably won’t even have to hit your GPS for the list of restaurants – if it all goes really well for the advertisers, their ads will just get pushed to your screen as you drive by.
And it’s not hard to imagine that GPS screen with little blue-linked ads for the stores you’re driving by – with a little teensy GPS-screen sized “Ads by Goooooogle” at the bottom.
Anyone want to start a pool as to when this will first be announced?
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The Cell phones already have GPS built into them. Also they can track you by a three point axis with the existing cell phone towers.
The GPS was included so in case of emergency a rescue person could pinpoint your location when you called 911. So the technology is already in the Cell phone/system to identify where you are.
Your commentary on push advertising, however. Would require your phone number to be listed to begin with. Since they aren’t listed don’t give it out. Instead keep it private or give them something like the AIMphone thingie, some VOIP that doesn’t cost you anything and you can screen calls and add’s with.
Good point though I’m sure someone’s already working on it!