POIfriend.com is a GPS tagging community based in Toronto, Canada, that aims to connect people based on interest and location.
"Most users agree that many standard POIs pre-loaded on your GPS device are either out-of-date, incorrect, missing, and not personally relevant," the site says.
POIfriend.com was created to act as "An environment where the community builds content from 'bottom-up' to benefit everyone."
POIfriend, which stands for point-of-interest, covers a broad range of interests including Arts & Entertainment, Attractions & Events, Business & Industry, Family & Friends, Food & Beverage, Health & Fitness, Real Estate, Shopping, Sports and more.
Companies like Ford and Denny's use it to promote their businesses, by making it easy to pinpoint individual locations. Not surprisingly, the highest rated POI at the moment is Tim Hortons
GPS Tagging Communities
POIfriend.com
Trend Themes
1. Community-based Location Tagging - Opportunity for businesses to connect with potential customers through community-based location tagging platforms like POIfriend.com.
2. User-generated Pois - Disruptive innovation opportunity exists in creating user-generated POIs that are fresh, relevant and user-specific.
3. Hyperlocal Advertising - Hyperlocal advertising has the opportunity to gain traction with platforms like POIfriend.com as many businesses use the platform to promote their services or products.
Industry Implications
1. GPS Technology - GPS device manufacturers could create new business models by partnering with location tagging communities and incorporating their user-generated POIs into their devices.
2. Advertising Technology - Advertising technology companies have the opportunity to capitalize on hyperlocal advertising by partnering with platforms like POIfriend.com to offer targeted advertising to businesses based on user interests and preferences.
3. Marketing and Promotion - Marketing and promotion professionals could utilize platforms like POIfriend.com to create buzz and awareness for their products or events by engaging with the community and promoting through user-generated POIs.