Andy Ashley, international marketing director at Digital Element, explains the value of using IP geolocation to reach mobile users with relevant advertising in a privacy sensitive manner

We live in an increasingly – and amazingly – connected world. The mobile revolution has become a global phenomenon, and one that extends far beyond the smartphone. For while the number of smartphone users has increased – to 4.68bn this year from 4.15bn in 2015, according to Statista – the total number of connected devices is rising exponentially.

In addition to phones, tablets and PCs, modern homes boast connected TVs and fridges, virtual reality headsets, smart speakers, thermostats, cameras and even doorbells, all of which enable us to stay connected to each other, and to the things that matter most to us, around the clock. In fact, Statista estimates that there will be 30.73bn connected devices worldwide by 2020. And we are all spending more time engaging with these devices. According to Ofcom’s August 2018 report, A Decade of Digital Dependency, people are online for an average of 24 hours a week – that’s twice as long as 10 years ago. In fact, one in five of all adults spending as much as 40 hours a week on the web. Clearly, this presents an opportunity for brands to engage with consumers across these various devices and touchpoints, and it’s an opportunity that’s strengthened by the increasing ubiquity of wi-fi, and not just in the home.

In the developed world, it’s rare these days to be out and about and not to be able to access a (usually free) wi-fi network, either in a café, bar or shop, or on the street. Digital Element’s NetAcuity IP geolocation solution, enables brands to harness this opportunity, by targeting mobile users over wi-fi, wherever they may be. IP geolocation can reach mobile users at scale, in a privacy sensitive manner, delivering contextually relevant content and advertising at the moment it counts most, all without the need for opt in.

The value of IP Intelligence in a multiscreen world

Against this backdrop of mobile proliferation are the subtle yet critical differences of device usage. The majority of media consumption is screen based. Consumers move between devices to achieve what they want and the vast majority of people use multiple screens sequentially. Smart companies recognise this and deliver the customer experience accordingly. For example, a tablet is more geared towards research and planning. The smartphone view is more about the ‘now’, and the priorities are accordingly different.

It is essential to be relevant to consumers’ needs in the moment and connect with information they are looking for. IP geolocation can also be used as part of a multi-layered mobile marketing strategy that takes into account mobile device type and developing messaging that is relevant to the consumer at a particular point in time. Helping gain trust to get buy in by targeting users at scale, creating more contextually relevant local offers and it can enable the opting in for more granular location targeting such as GPS. Moving the consumer down the purchasing funnel and helping to expand the user base that can be geofenced.

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.