Nokia allows ad targeting for 10 specific cities

If you think local advertising on mobiles is still a year or so away, think again. Nokia has launched a new metro targeting application which allows marketers to target ads specifically to 10 major cities in the United States.

by Kristina Knight

The Nokia Media Network partners with content providers such as Hearst and TVGuide and with mobile providers such as Sprint. This new targeting capability is available to marketers who want to specifically target consumers in Atlanta, Georgia, Boston, Massachusettes, Chicago, Illinois, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas, Los Angeles, California, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, New York, New York, San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, California, Washington D.C. and Seattle/Tacoma, Washington.

Targeting ads for specific cities gives marketers an unprecedented chance to appeal to a wide audience. Consumers in San Francisco may react differently to ads for ski resorts or vacation deals than consumers in Chicago; targeting for a city or audience within a city is a unique approach to the engagement problem.

Mobile is one marketing platform that screams for local advertising as it is the only screen that can be with the consumer at all times. Whether consumers have a phone, a PDA or other handheld device, chances are that from the time they wake up until the time they go to bed the device is with them. Advertising on mobile networks, offering mobile coupons, sponsoring weather or maps is a great way to keep your brand before the user all day long.