Andy Ashley, international marketing director at Digital Element, discusses the ways that IP geolocation can be utilised to reach mobile users

Following on from my recent blog about IP geolocation in a connected world, I thought it would be good to outline in more detail how exactly IP geolocation and intelligence can be deployed.

There are several use cases for IP geolocation. Ad tech companies such as Adbrain, Adroll, Crimtan, MediaMath, Teads.tv, Turn, Weborama, Infectious Media and Mobvista, to name a few, use it for standalone geotargeting and to develop tighter targeting profiles to allow for instant bidding and the serving of highly relevant advertising. By using IP intelligence for geolocation, marketers can access information on the type of connection being used by the consumer, as well as the internet service provider (ISP), mobile carrier, device type and whether they are using a home or business connection.

This opens up a wealth of opportunity for marketers to deliver the most effective content, by highlighting differences in connection types and speeds that may impact final ad delivery for example. This is particularly important when it comes to reaching consumers on mobile devices, where advertisers are increasingly missing opportunities by assuming users will be connected via 4G, 5G or Long-Term Evolution (LTE). In fact, it has recently been predicted that “wi-fi will kill mobile networks by 2025” as the need for speed pushes consumers to make better use of public internet hotspots when browsing on the move.

Analysing buying patterns using location can maximise media spend, as adding location to display ads for more precise targeting can reduce the cost of campaigns. Adding location alongside other targeting filters – such as demographic, intent, and interest data –enables marketers to add another layer of relevancy and context to their campaigns. And knowing where consumers are allows advertisers to deliver messaging appropriate to specific places. And the results are impressive. Tapad, the cross-device advertising company, has seen big increases in clickthrough rates in geotargeted advertising – 11 per cent on desktop, eight per cent on mobile and seven per cent on tablets. Away from the marketing arena, several well-known broadcasters, including CNN, Channel 5, Discovery Networks and many other major OTT (Over The Top) service providers, use the platform to manage geographical rights.

The solution enables the broadcasters to prevent users accessing their content from countries where they don’t have the rights to distribute it, even if the user is accessing via a VPN (Virtual Private Network) or some other proxy service. IP intelligence can also be used to help detect and prevent online fraud. By identifying how visitors connect, through say a proxy or VPN, suspicious traffic can be identified and acted upon.

Digital Element and Mobile Marketing collaborated to develop a whitepaper that outlines the rise of the mobile internet and shows how marketers, advertisers, and ad tech companies can utilise IP geolocation to create more meaningful content and advertising.