The Role of Maps Platforms in an Era of Sophisticated Location Targeting

Maps platforms aren't just for helping consumers find their way. They also offer a wealth of data for advertisers that want to do more advanced location targeting. Peter Lenz, senior geospatial analyst at data science company Dstillery, spoke with eMarketer's Yory Wurmser about how advertisers are using data from maps to reveal trends and improve ad targeting, and what they need to watch out for while doing so. Lenz was interviewed as part of eMarketer's July report, "Maps and Navigation Apps: Discovery, Exploration Features Open Up Ad Opportunities."

Beyond that, our clients are often interested in basic questions, such as, who are the people living in or visiting a particular place? That can be two very distinct populations. The people who live in a place that's close to an office park are very different than the people who drive there every day to go to work, for example.