Speaking Sensis

The revolution mobile technology is bringing to the way people find, buy and sell reminds me of the proverb “the more things change, the more they stay the same”.

What brought this to mind was a recent survey that found that maps are one of the most popular applications on mobile devices today. The comScore MobiLens survey identified an almost 70 per cent jump in the use of mobile mapping and direction services last year. In February this year, it found that more than 21 million people in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy used their phones for navigation.

If maps are such a useful and in demand application, it’s easy to understand why they are now a key selling feature for someone upgrading their handset.

No wonder Nokia is advertising free navigation on all of its new smartphones as a way of winning back market share lost to iPhone, Blackberry and phones with Google’s Android system.

In 1997, Sensis (then Pacific Access) kicked off market research into the concept of enhanced map routing from the static maps found on the Online White Pages® and Yellow Pages® sites.

The objective of this research was to understand how people planned journeys, used maps and their features, and what information would be required to provide a great experience. At the time this new technology was seen as a great feature to encourage usage of our online directories and also allowed us new page impressions on which to sell banner advertising.

The basics back then are much the same as today. People told us they wanted information about the best route and one that incorporated local knowledge. They told us that they wanted location specific information and really only needed help for parts of the journey they were not so familiar with.

But, with all the features from mapping, directions and turn by turn voiced navigation being provided free of charge, the subscription and advertising models of today are under pressure.

New ways of monetising the features will need to be developed. So we need to look back to see the future. Clues to what might be new advertising models might just lie in that 1997 research report on my desk.

Journeys aren’t just about getting from A to B, people want to do it safely, avoid incidents and have a smooth journey.

Features like real-time traffic and alternate routes can be sponsored, much the same as traffic reports are on the radio.

Users want to know information of value on their journey, such as fuel prices, where to eat, where to pick up some flowers or where to find an all night chemist.

Again, these features can be monetised through different advertising models.

Advertisers might pay to become navigation points on a map, just as our survey found13 years ago.

Special offers might encourage purchase along the journey, who wouldn’t stop at the convenience store for a cheap burger! If your planned travel is for a few hours drive, it’s likely you are going to want to eat at some stage.

Constant in all this change are our basic needs to complete a journey without fuss and bother. The tools to help us do this are getting more sophisticated and as a marketer, I am excited about the highly targeted opportunities we are going to be able to provide by knowing where an individual is, and where they are going, even the time of day they are travelling.

The chance to reach someone on the move and near your business seems much more exciting than someone with their feet up on the couch for the night.

iPhone users who have been waiting for Apple to release a turn-by-turn navigation product needn’t wait any longer – this week the first Australian turn-by-turn, voice guided navigation application for the iPhone was launched and our very own Whereis® is the sole mapping provider for Australia and NZ maps.

The international navigation company Sygic, who launched the iPhone application, chose to partner with Whereis® to supply the navigational data.

Called Sygic Mobile Maps Australia, it’s available now via iTunes for AU$79.99. Sygic Mobile Maps Australia for the iPhone features all the usual ‘bells and whistles’ courtesy of the comprehensive Whereis® mapping data set, including turn-by-turn voice guidance, automatic re-routing, lane guidance and speed limit info, as well as red light and speed cameras.

The partnership between Sygic and Whereis® is an exciting announcement and a step in the right direction to ensuring more Australians have easy access to a quality navigation experience across a range of devices.

Both Whereis® and Sygic share the ambition of bringing the best navigation experience to Australian consumers, so the partnership was a no brainer for both parties.

In media news this week, Sygic said they were pleased to partner with Australia’s leading mapping provider, Whereis®, given their confidence in the ability of Whereis® to bring Australian customers the most accurate, rich and up to date map data and content in the country.

Check it out and read the reviews at iTunes by searching for ‘Sygic’.