Lat49 is an online mapvertising system that brings geographically relevant advertising to users of online maps. Lat49 serves on-map display ads that are relevant to where the user is looking on the map. Ads change dynamically depending on what area and zoom level of the map the user is looking at. Advertisers can buy parcels of land at multiple zoom levels to suit the goals of their advertising campaign. They can build their regional branding by owning the map's most zoomed out views or, they can finely tune their messaging to target the local, neighborhood, or urban level audiences with action-oriented ads. For web publishers who feature online maps, Lat49 gives them the opportunity to monetize their site like never before. It transforms online maps from being cost centers into revenue-generating properties, no matter what underlying map technology they are using.
“Lat49 was developed by Vancouver-based IDELIX Software Inc., a company that specializes in technologies for visualizing, presenting, and interacting with complex visual information. Having identified a strong market demand for an effective map-based advertising model, the team of visualization and data interaction experts at IDELIX has tackled the challenge of map-based, geographically targeted advertising. Everyday, there are new examples available on the Web of how people are combining data with maps to create insightful new methods for viewing and analyzing information. These map-centric Web sites attract an interactive audience of repeat visitors. This is an active and engaged audience that has been virtually unaccessible to advertisers... until now.”
Lat49 has great possibilities to succeed on this field. It has identified a gap in the way ad platforms and networks geo-targeted ads, particularly within Ajax and Flash maps. It opens a whole new online inventory to sell ads and provides a new metric of relevancy - where a person is looking (area of interest) rather than where they are currently. Besides, maps are the most popular mobile app and Lat49 is planning to launch on mobile this year. MapQuest just joined its publisher network and Local.com has partnered with them on local ad content.
Can the map-based advertising model they developed be easily imitated? How they will deal with a large number of competitors that will surely arise?
