LBS or Location Based Services is becoming a popular, tech driven marketing channel for many forward thinking brands in the region. LBS based marketing offers unique opportunities for brands to talk to the consumer, or drive messages through to them, via their mobile devices at locations that are relevant to the message and to the consumer.

A location-based service (LBS) is an information and entertainment service, accessible with mobile devices through the mobile network and utilizing the ability to make use of the geographical position of the mobile device.

LBS services can be used in a variety of contexts, such as health, work, personal life, etc. LBS services include services to identify a location of a person or object, such as discovering the nearest banking cash machine or the whereabouts of a friend or employee. LBS services include parcel tracking and vehicle tracking services.

LBS can include mobile commerce when taking the form of coupons or advertising directed at customers based on their current location. They include personalized weather services and even location-based games. They are an example of telecommunication convergence. Another example is Near LBS (NLBS), in which local-range technologies such as Bluetooth, WLAN, infrared and/or RFID technologies are used to match devices to nearby services. This application allows a person to access information based on their surroundings; especially suitable for using inside closed premises, restricted/ regional areas.

Some examples of location-based services are:
Requesting the nearest business or service, such as an ATM or restaurant
Turn by turn navigation to any address
Locating people on a map displayed on the mobile phone
Receiving alerts, such as notification of a sale on gas or warning of a traffic jam
Location-based mobile advertising

Mobile messaging plays an essential role in LBS. Messaging, especially SMS, has been used in combination with various LBS applications, such as location-based mobile advertising. SMS is still the main technology carrying mobile advertising / marketing campaigns to mobile phones. A classic example of LBS applications using SMS is the delivery of mobile coupons or discounts to mobile subscribers who are near to advertising restaurants, cafes, movie theatres. The Singaporean mobile operator MobileOne carried out such an initiative in 2007 that involved many local marketers, what was reported to be a huge success in terms of subscriber acceptance.

Fortune Promoseven's digital teams are available to work with your brand on LBS solutions for your productsor services – making mobile based communications to your target audience relevant, cost effective and creative.

Definitions and content resource: wikipedia.org