Urban Airship today took the wraps off two capabilities made possible by its acquisition of location-aware developer SimpleGeo. The first is Urban Airship Segments, which enables mobile message pushers to finely tune their recipients, and the other is a partnership with Meridian that adds the great indoors to location-targeted mobile messaging.
Urban Airship Segments combines location with what marketers already know about the user, so that messages can be sent only if a specific set of conditions is met.
Scott Kveton, CEO of Urban Airship, said for example, a sports media company could send an offer to receive commentary from the Phillies dugout that would only be received by users who are fans of the Philadelphia Phillies and who are watching a game live from a seat in the Fenway Park bleachers. Another example he gave was a company could offer a nightlife guide to users whose hometown is Seattle but who are at that moment using an iPad while they’re in New York City.
Speaking at O’Reilly’s Where Conference, Kveton also announced a strategic partnership with Meridian for indoor location-targeted mobile messaging. He said by combining the two, reaching consumers at the actual decision point in the real world. For instance, retailers could send highly targeted offers based on audience preferences and locations, then direct customers to the exact store aisle the item is in. In another scenario, businesses or attractions having a slow day could send messages just to people who happen to be nearby and who are likely to be interested.
Kveton also cited supportive research from Gartner. “Location alone, especially with a narrow view of where someone is right now, is a blunt instrument with as much potential to annoy as to motivate,” said Anne Lapkin, research vice president at Gartner. “Understanding user context such as preferences and behaviors offers the opportunity to truly be thoughtful, targeted and useful.”
Related links:
Urban Airship blog post – Think Global, Message Local: Introducing Urban Airship Segments
http://whereconf.com/where2012
