Field Notes Inside an Integrated Communications Agency

I use Google Maps on my Blackberry. When I log on, it shows me my location wherever I am within about 1700 feet, I am told. This is cool. I needed to find an intersection last Sunday. I pulled out my Blackberry, clicked on the Google Maps icon and within 3 seconds there was a little blue beacon blinking on a map of a location somewhere outside of Charlotte. Yep that's where I am.  I zoomed out on the little map and WHAM! there was my answer. Don't turn here, go another intersection further south. Wow. Blackberry and Google really helped me out while I felt totally lost.

Then I saw an electronic billboard about 75 feet up in the air, as I zoomed by, that I swear was a Blackberry ad with a Google Maps example on the screen. WHat?!? You have to be kidding me. No way. I started to slow down, bite my lip and wonder if I needed to turn around for a second look. Did it also say my name?

Point here is we are experiencing convergent marketing where this stuff, whether I saw it or not, is becoming more of a reality. 

Location-based, personal advertising is not out of the realm of now. Would it be difficult for my cell phone/mobile data provider to signal the server powering that billboard after it received a signal from my blackberry? While I am in eye shot of that billboard, is it inconceivable that it could send a 3 second message from a company that I looked up on Google from my blackberry the hour before?

How well do they know me?