All about Geolocation

By Maria Guerra. Posted on December 5, 2017

While it's true that your IP address doesn't reveal your address or identity, it can reveal what city or even general area you are in (no worries, only people with big technical knowledge can do this). That amazing technological feature is made possible by something called geolocation software. Geolocation uses mobile devices built-in GPS to accurately show where the device, and the user of the device, are located.  The questions we should ask ourselves are, how far does geolocation go and why is it important? 

For advertising, it’s meaningful not only to know where a consumer is, but also where that consumer’s attention is, and geolocation has made that possible. 

A perfect example of this topic would be location-based offers. Marketers can provide just-in-time, context-aware offers to anyone with a mobile We can use it to forecast a user’s location, send an offer before a user leaves the house, or during the week based on their routine. Physical retailers are using geolocation in order to drive more footfall traffic to brick-and-mortar storefronts. 

Another example is geolocation-based weather triggers that give marketers an opportunity to send out personalized messages to their target base. For instance, on a particularly hot day, a beverage company can invite consumers in for a refreshing drink. Or if the forecast would predict heavy rain next week, the same company can show a hot beverage to warm up. YDigital did this in a campaign with McDonald's, as shown in the image (to see how it works, click on the image). 

Now you might think that this all sounds petrifying but there are legal limitations to geolocation in order to protect consumers.  GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) acknowledges location data as part of “personal data” in Article 4.  

Under GDPR subjects of personal data are granted extended rights, including a right to access and a right to erasure (Living Map). This means that companies might give you the option to see where the closest store is or where you can get that refreshing drink, but it doesn’t mean they can track you and see if you went to the store.  

Overall, geolocation transformed the ways for companies to interact with their consumers. A mobile app developer can use geolocation to deliver a personalized experience to their consumer which YDigital Media loves to do. Curious about how we do it? Check out our website.

As always, feel free to like, share or tell us your doubts, questions or thoughts.