In a strange city with no idea of where to eat out? Imagine being able to go for a wander down the street and your mobile phone alerts you as to specific cafes and restaurants with specials on in you vicinity or where the local brothel is. Now whether you find this creepy intrusive or can't wait to try it out it is a reality.
One example of companies developing this technology is Placecast a private equity backed company specialising in location based mobile marketing. Placecast are developing their "opt in" service where consumers can join through the facebook page, choose what they want to recieve updates on and get location specific specials, updates from advertisers in their vicinity. Check out their Youtube video here to get their very own (tacky) take on the service. Tacky the video may be but this technology surely will take off with the ever growing capabilities of our mobile devices and millions being invested into geotagging development
I can see this taking off as advertisers see the benefits in location specific advertising and potential benefits over such mediums as yellow pages.
How would you feel about getting alerts via your mobile while you are walking past a store.
How far will it go and what would the restrictions be on advertising?
Now prostituion is legal in New Zealand - Imagine wondering down the street and getting an alert from the local hooker "quiet day at the office? Meet you on the corner of X & Y streets at 3 for a $50 special"
Personally I am not sure I would subscribe to the service as I am a 30 something shopaphobic guy who makes a beeline for the shop he needs to go to and gets the hell out of there as soon as he can. But hey if I was young single desparate and drunk maybe it would have its benefits.
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