As you all know, a marketing campaign is doomed to fail if the message is untargeted. So let’s take a look at the latest cross-platform buzz sweeping the industry — geolocation applications. This geographical intelligence technology is changing the way marketing works, it uses the power and vastness of the Internet and mobile smartphones to impact what people do as well as where they end up physically.

For businesses, being connected to these applications offer a significant opportunity to drive foot traffic to their stores, restaurants, destinations, or services by offering incentives online and to mobile devices. With Location Based Services such as Foursquare and Groupon, through which end users willingly “check in” to the service with their location, the outcome can be far more relevant to cater to their interests. This demographic is often savvy, smart phone wielding people who make it a point to stay connected and to have a presence on the map.

Many geolocation applications are integrated with the social media giants Facebook and Twitter, but we are starting to see MSPs utilize this technology with data collection sites, purls, and web2print. Our own Fuse boasts this capability as you can see in MyBluePie, as the software dynamically generates a page after an order is placed displaying your closest BluePie location for pickup.

Geolocation technology goes beyond personalizing a user’s web experience – it allows people to personalize aspects of their physical reality beyond their tangible options. People pore over Yelp before going out to restaurants or booking hotels. Physical maps have become almost obsolete as people drive around more efficiently, avoiding the traffic red zones on their GPS devices. Facebook tells me which Chipotle locations near me are having Free Burrito Day. Indeed, this geographical targeting is both a consumer’s dream and a huge advantage for businesses.

However, one word of warning. Sometimes, personal location goes too far. My roommate said to me recently, “Geolocation is bizarre. I don’t care where you are, but I’m sure your stalker appreciates it.” I wonder what privacy issues might come about when your online footprint becomes too intertwined with reality, or if it’s gotten to the point where connecting to social media with your information relinquishes that right.