Big Brother, or just an advertising evolution?

You knew this was right around the corner with e911 services and GPS for mobile phones. Read an article recently in Digiday: Daily about what the developer claims to be the first hyperlocal restaurant mobile campaign. According to the article, users that download a mobile application are able to see where friends are located and what they are doing via detailed, interactive maps on their mobile phones. As part of the agreement, people will see B.R. Guest restaurant locations, with 13 locations in Manhattan, and if a friend is located near that restaurant. From there, the restaurant holding company is hoping social mapping will take hold and encourage two people in a similar location to meet up at one of their restaurants (with a little nudge from a free desert offer at all B.R. Guest locations).




Seems to me, this could be either a very successful endeavor or not, based on how people feel about sharing their exact location with others. Big brother or not, you make the call.

-posted by Andrew