At the Open Mobile Summit that was held on June 9, 2011, the contextual app, a brand new concept for contextual advertising, was brought to light for the first time for use with location-based mobile marketing.
This concept was presented by Kevin Lynch, the chief technology officer for Adobe. He showed that not too long from now – in his words “really possible soon” – the user of a mobile device will be able to select from various apps depending on their actual location, what is within a certain proximity, and what other devices are nearby.
Using several different types of device, ranging from the popular iPad by apple, to the Samsung Galaxy Tab, Lynch showed the audience how this new form of technology could function in a free-flowing way. A demonstration was made by showing how the user of a mobile device could enter into the Tate Modern and choose an app that would provide him or her with a gallery guide and make mention of the current featured exhibitions.
Within the café in Tate Modern, Lynch showed that the tablet device could be used with an app for ordering food without the need to speak with a cashier. While Lynch sat in the café, he was alerted that a friend had arrived and was sitting nearby.
According to Lynch, “Proximity sensing will be at a granular enough level to know where someone is within a few feet.”
Later, at his hotel room, lynch was able to use the mobile device in order to control the television, changing the volume and viewing his own media.
This demonstration has allowed businesses to begin thinking differently about their branding and location-based marketing. It appears as though the ability to expand contextual ads from their current position as coupons, display, and SMS into advertising that is based on the specific location of the user and that can provide an actual function, not just a discount or a link to a website.
Security worries were assuaged by Lynch, who explained that this form of contextual app would all be opt-in, though he did not go as far as to deny that spam would one day become a possibility.
