JiWire has launched a new service called Compass, which is designed to enhance location-based advertising for mobile devices.  The location-based mobile media company is designing a platform around geo-specific data, enabling brands to make their campaigns more relevant for audiences based on their exact location.
What Compass’ platform offers is a way to “actionize” an ad, giving consumers a method of interacting with a campaign.  It essentially turns an ad into a mobile app, driving web and foot traffic through various points of interaction.  An end user can see a promo for a local dress shop, call them, place an order, set an appointment, search their inventory, navigate there or make a purchase.  The true value of these different points of interaction depend largely on the brand itself, but JiWire is setting out to enable more options around this concept.

Now that ads have been digitized and socialized, it’s time to localize and “actionize” them.  “It’s the next step in the evolution.  Now that things have evolved, we think people aren’t using computers to surf the web in their homes and offices anymore, and more than ever, they’re on the go,” says Kevin McKenzie, founder of JiWire.

“Where we see location coming into play is its uniqueness to the individual.  Everyone essentially has a computer in their pocket, and the big hook is understanding where users are so brands can contextualize themselves.”

In providing opportunities around that value, JiWire’s Compass must also be scalable.  Part of this relies on JiWire’s local media channel, distributed through branded WiFi networks, which the company reports as being far broader than most localized mobile ad campaigns.  Incorporating the local ads into an app structure expands their scalable opportunities as well, while providing a more interactive capacity.

If you take a look at their intro video (see below), you’ll see the correlation between early mass marketing methods, like billboards, and their evolution to personalized, targeted ads, contextualized by a consumer’s geodata.  Delivering ads in this method is heavily tied to search, meaning JiWire’s new Compass platform is taking aim at Google, Microsoft Bing,  Apple iAds, and a number of other mobile search efforts that are in the process of monetizing themselves with localized advertisements.

Some key features of Compass:

Compass reaches an audience of more than 40 million on-the-go users connecting them with brands beyond the check in:

Provides real-time inventory on what’s in stock
Geo-locates products and service catalogs from over 200,000 retailers and product manufacturers
Offers more than 3 million unique product SKU’s across the U.S.
Provides both walking and driving directions
Enables users to call or text the retailer and get text message responses
Puts products on hold and make online purchases that will be ready for pick up
Allows users to set appointments to learn more about products
Schedule a sample trial for a new makeup line
Book an appointment to try on a wedding dress
Book a test drive
Make a reservation

How it Works

Compass provides a highly interactive consumer experience. A Compass ad – viewed on either an iPad, smartphone, or laptop – first appears as a standard digital or mobile display ad.  But unlike standard ads, at launch it pulls in location-specific data about the advertiser, providing key information to the viewer about the brand as it relates to that user’s proximity. Once the customer selects the ad, it expands to display a full-screen app-like experience that clearly shows the nearby locations, which are either physical store locations for a retailer or locations where a product is sold.

Additionally, Compass will inform a consumer if a particular product is in stock at a specific location. Consumers can take it one step further by performing one of the following: contact the store, retrieve driving directions, or find out more information.  The latter option allows advertisers to create customized tabs so the users can interact and learn about their brand through videos, promotions and product demonstrations.

Already JiWire’s named some high-profile partners that are rather excited about the new localized advertising methods; Clinique, Ritz Camera and Hewlett-Packard to name a few.  For HP in particular, Compass ties in well with their mobile print campaign, which is breathing new life into some of the company’s flagship products.