Explain promotion and the promotional mix

Explain promotion and the promotional mix Reasons for growth of location-based services. The latest development of smart-phones and their availability to people has facilitated the growth and positive progress of location based services. The smart-phones are baked with a satellite-positioning technology which enables easy for individuals to relay their geographical location. The information relayed by the satellite-positioning feature is used by companies to offer information about their nearest brands based on the location of the user (The Economist, 2010).
There are a large number of mobile applications online. Smartphone users can be able to download these apps. The use of these of apps has boosted the use of location-based services in that users are experimenting the use of the new services more and more (The Economist, 2010). A company can provide its application which can be used by the user to locate the nearest branch of the company or the smart-phone user can get to know the different products offered by the company and the available offer.
Many people are accessing social networks for instance Facebook and Twitter by making use of mobile apps. The use of smart-phones with these mobile apps has facilitated the growth of location-based services as people are now at ease sharing their information (The Economist, 2010). Many people are using Facebook to update on their location and also companies can use the social network to target individuals of a particular location. People are using Twitter to share information on the location which in turn can be used by companies to target consumers based on their location.
Targeted advertising based on a users location.
The activity of offering targeted advertising basing on the location of the user should be primarily being an exercise to organizations to increase their slice and utilize the available local advertising market. Since the prime objective of location-based advertising is to make the brand to be more known to people, the activity should not be used for other unethical acts such as trying inflicting the privacy of users (Pelau & Zebreanu, 2010). Location-based advertising is a better method of wining consumers based on their location. But firms should put measures to safeguard the privacy of the users.
Location-based advertising is facilitated by the rapid and increased use of mobile phones. The service is of great significance in that it facilitates consumers to interact more with their preferred brands. The advertisement targeting the user based on their location is intelligent, immediate, intimate and also innovative (Pelau & Zebreanu, 2010). These are the features which make targeted user location advertisement a positive innovation to make companies to reach their consumers and market them.
The user advertising based on their location is growing rapidly and in the near future, more people and organizations will adopt. According to The Economist (2010), there is an increased use of mobile phones especially smart-phones and there is an increased trend of people using them longer and more. This is because; mobile phones are like personal computers and quite portable. Companies should seize the opportunity to market their brand since the present world is rapidly migrating into the use of mobile technology as the main mode of communication and information sharing.
Since the industry is new, professional bodies should be devised to regulate and safeguard users and players from abuse of user’s privacy. Before entering the market, organizations or companies should be made aware of the guidelines regarding the use of mobile in offering location-based services. Also, they should have a good knowledge concerning information technology in terms of data transfer and the internet.
In conclusion, companies should concentrate in advertising their brands to consumers rather than trying to obtain data and tracking their individual movement. According to Steve Jobs, the late former Apple C. E. O, mobile phone manufactures should obtain data from its mobile users only after making a request to that particular mobile user (Valentino-Devries, & Steel, 2010). The activity of tracking users’ movement is unethical and should be discouraged from use by the industry competitors. Location-based advertisement should be employed for its intended purpose only; offering mobile advertisement based on the user location.
References.
Pelau, C. & Zebreanu, P. (2010). Mobile Marketing. The Marketing for the Next Generation, 5(2), 101-116.
The Economist. (2010). Location-based services on mobile phones: Follow me. Retrieved October 5, 2012, from http://www. economist. com/node/15612291
Valentino-Devries, J. and Steel, E. (2010). Cookies Cause Bitter Backlash. Spate of Lawsuits Shows User Discomfort with Latest Innovations in Online-Tracking Technology. Retrieved October 5, 2012, from http://online. wsj. com/article/SB10001424052748704416904575502261335698370. html