Author: Julie Campbell

Location based marketing is blossoming in the United States

| June 27, 2014

Geolocation technology using searches and advertising are taking off in the country, says TechNavio.

A technology focused global research firm called TechNavio Research has now released a report that has shown that the increasing penetration of smartphones and other mobile devices has fueled a considerable growth in the American location based marketing and search market.

The firm has forecasted that from last year through 2018, there will be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 43.01.

Location based marketing uses a mobile device owner’s specific position – as reported by that device – to promote brands, products and services that are in close proximity to that individual. Over the last few years, it has increasingly become the standard for smartphones and tablets to be GPS enabled, and those devices are achieving greater popularity among consumers. In the United States, it was reported, last year, that there was a 65 percent penetration rate for smartphones that were enabled with GPS technology.

It is expected that by 2016, over 90 percent of devices will be capable of supporting location based marketing tech.

According to the TechNavio vice president, Faisal Ghaus, “The huge number of smartphones being used in the US acts as a catalyst for the incremental adoption of mobile LBS applications such as location discovering, friend finder and location-based advertising, shopping and networking.”Location Based Marketing in the US

Companies have recognized that there is potential value in providing consumers with advertising that is based on their specific location and have been increasingly adopting location based services in order to appeal to those shoppers.

Among the large businesses currently testing campaigns that employ this technology are PepsiCo Inc., Starbucks Corp. , and L’Oreal Inc. The latter of those companies has already launched a pilot campaign to test the cost effectiveness of this technology when compared to other electronic media as well as traditional print advertising.

Ghaus pointed out that as location based marketing costs are relatively low when compared to many other forms of advertising, “enterprises are witnessing cost benefits from related marketing activities and transferring these benefits to their customers.” This can also assist businesses in better understanding their customers so that more relevant and attractive deals can be offered.

Augmented reality Lego game is on its way

| June 25, 2014

The new Fusion series will not only feature the highly popular Lego kits, but they will be in digital form.

When the fall arrives, this year, a completely new Lego kits series will have been released and it will use augmented reality to move the designs and constructions of a creator – young or not so young – out of the physical world and into the digital one.

This new series will be called Lego Fusion and it is already generating massive hype.

Simply said, the augmented reality Lego looks extremely cool! While the actual use of AR technology for a game is nothing new, particularly for children, mobile app developers are always coming up with new and unique ways to produce an interesting and attractive experience. Another example of a game that combines the real and digital worlds for a children’s toy experience is with Hot Wheels. They use a tablet to be able to enhance their racetracks with some spectacular visual effects to go along with the racing experience of the toy vehicles.

It isn’t just toy companies releasing augmented reality apps for a new entertainment experience.

For example, McDonald’s – the fast food chain – has previously launched their own AR game, alongside their new mascot (often labeled as creepy or even terrifying). However, when it comes to the game experience as a whole, it looks as though Lego has seriously stepped things up from its predecessors.Augmented Reality - Lego

The Lego Fusion series will be making its way to stores in August and in September. It is iPad compatible and gives the user the ability to create a three dimensional building out of a single wall, and to allow players to be able to bring their characters and their environments to life in massive battle scenes on their living room floors.

So far, there are four games that have been confirmed as a part of the upcoming Lego Fusion series. They are Create and Race, Battle Towers, Town Master, and Resort Designer. Though there hasn’t been a great deal of detail provided regarding each specific game, the names do make it clear what their themes will be.

These augmented reality games will rely on special cards for positioning the camera, and then the user can simply begin building and playing.