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GARMIN SEZ TURN RIGHT, TURN LEFT!

As GPS devices move into the mainstream and prices drop, look for marketers to secure positions with “soft” advertising.

GPS devices can integrate with points-of-interest (POIs) that make driving from point A to B a more pleasurable experience. The key to successfully integrating locations for service-oriented stops (Dunkin Donuts, Preferred Gas Stations, Fast Food Eateries, Banks, Hospitals, etc.) is for the user to request or “opt-in” for location downloads to the device. This direct personalization can be a boon to marketers.

Today, roughly twenty percent of online users own a GPS device …. And that number is exploding with shipment revenues tripling over the last twelve months. The market is expected to generate $5.4 billion by 2008 and is expanding to hiking, walking, biking and more.

The next phase is for the technology to be embedded into more common devices …. the cell phone or PDA, driving traffic to retail outlets.

While GPS devices are positioned to enhance the consumer experience, B to B applications have also taken off.

Partnerships developed today between advertisers and service providers are sure to reap benefits in the not-to-distant future.

"You're travelling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound ... That's the signpost up ahead - your next stop, the Twilight Zone!