One of the biggest changes in the World Wide Web that I’ve seen since 1995 is that it has become so much more local. As it gets more local, from an advertising point of view, it starts to act more like a local newspaper in that we know where the reader is. (Who knew back then that a newspaper was geocoded?)
Another indication of the localization of the web is what Twitter started to roll out yesterday.
Now, Twitter asks you to set your location (only a limited number of big cities to choose from today) and then you can watch subject categories from your city.
Imagine having a local promotion that you Tweet about and get listed high on Twitter/Chicago.
The internet is giving us a wide range of options for reaching specific markets, many more than we had in 95 and with all this change comes confusion for local retailers. To me it’s the job of the brand managers to sort through all of the options available to local dealers today, pick the winners and then give the dealer the tools to take advantage of these cost-effective alternatives to traditional advertising methods.
And, just when you think you have it all figured out, another opportunity presents itself.