Three big name companies are targeting consumers with location-aware ad campaigns on a new social network.
Centrl has partnered with Navteq, a provider of digital map data for location-based services and vehicle navigation, to enable its location-based social network with Navteq LocationPoint, a mobile location-based advertising service.
Navteq LocationPoint Advertising allows advertisers to reach and engage customers on their handsets when and where they are making shopping and purchasing decisions. For example, Centrl users looking for nearby friends and a place to meet can view offers from nearby merchants.
Companies that have taken advantage of this so far include LaQuinta Inn, Chili’s and Jack in the Box. As with employers who are looking to reach job candidates, being able to cater to the location of the user makes the experience more pleasant and more efficient.
Merchant locations will be displayed on Navteq maps. On top of that, merchant services and special offers can be advertised with graphical promotions, mobile coupons and calls-to-action.
“The social element creates huge value for advertisers and also for users,” Murat Aktihanoglu, founder and CEO of Centrl, New York, said. “You don’t need to print or clip anymore offers, you can just show the merchant the details and the coupon page to enjoy the offer.
“Navteq has a very strong brand and they are visionaries in how mobile advertising can be best improved to become a powerful messaging medium,” he continued. “We very much enjoy working with Navteq on optimizing our system both from the advertisers and users point of view.
The new service, which is available on the Web, iPhone, Android and BlackBerry, enables users to access discount offers, keep track of and communicate with friends, as well as access restaurant reviews, local events, real estate listings and nearby gas stations.
Social features allow users to login from social networks, send virtual gifts and free text messages while accessing maps with various content. The location-based social network allows users to connect with nearby places and people that match their interests on smartphones and social networking sites.
“Centrl is working on establishing the guidelines for the next-generation of how advertisers will best communicate with consumers,” Aktihanoglu said. “We believe that geo- and behavioral-targeted messages will be the best way and will almost provide a ‘benefit’ to users because of the high degree of targeting.
“In this regard, we found Navteq to be a great match to what we are trying to do,” he added. “While most mobile ad networks are still at the ZIP-code level in terms of geo-targeting, we have worked with Navteq from the beginning to take advantage of Centrl’s real-time rich interface and send offers to users in a very relevant way, right next to them.”
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