A combination of Smartphone’s and location-based social networks, including recently launched Facebook Places is providing a whole new level of targeted marketing for marketers.

This functionality is allowing its members/users to network, share, meet up, and make recommendations based on their physical coordinates.This will provide the obvious main stream location promotion opportunities merging pages with locations and allowing those to offer discount offers to people within certain proximity and to allow companies to tailor offers to those passing by.

“It creates another level of engagement with the consumer. If you check into the Gap, let’s make a special offer for you,” Mr. Tom Bedecarre. Chief Executive Officer  AKQA  said. “If you check in at 3 p.m. near a Starbucks, it’s ‘Hey, do you want a special on this latte?’ We see your favorite movies on Facebook, and the movie theater nearby can say, ‘Hey, this movie is playing here, come in now and we’ll give you a free popcorn.’

“I can see advertisers connect the dots as quickly as Facebook allows them to,” he added. “It gives them a chance to put an offer in front of someone when they’re in a position that allows for an immediate transaction.”

To cover this latest development two additions have been included in the the SMWF Asia program. Including the impact location based services will have for marketers. Day 2 of the SMWF Asia event has a panel focusing on: ‘Geotagging: location is no game – the new dimension of marketing’ – It explores how apps are integrated into marketing and what they bring, and predicting behavior through geotagging and marketing from it.

The panel will be taking place on the afternoon of the second day at 1700 and will cover the points below:

1700 Interactive Panel: Geotagging: location is no game – the new dimension of marketing
• The landscape of existing Apps: who, how many users, how old etc
• How apps are integrated into marketing and what they bring etc
• Any such local dedicated apps in Asia?
• Predicting behaviour through geotagging and marketing from it

Saumil Nanavati, Co-founder & CEO, Chlkboard
Winston Goh, Product Marketing Manager, Samsung Asia Pte Ltd
Stephen  Dolan, Commercial Director, Facebook

And also a 10min talk on day one at 10:45 on ‘what does Foursquare mean for Marketeers?’
By Ryan Lim, Founder & Business Director, Blugrapes