Ansearch, NAVTEQ Ink Exclusive Location-Based Advertising Deal

Ansearch Limited has today signed a deal to represent mapping and navigation provider NAVTEQ exclusively in the Australian and New Zealand markets.

A subsidiary company of Nokia, NAVTEQ provides all map and navigation data to every Nokia phone through its Direct Access program.

Nokia controls about 39% of the global mobile phone and devices market, and is equal in size to its four main competitors - Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and LG - added together.

The NAVTEQ-Ansearch deal gives Ansearch the exclusive Australasian rights to provide location based advertising for clients.

For example, banks could plot all their ATMs and branches on a map which would appear on any Nokia mobile phone or other device. In the near future, special offers could be appended to the map listings. A bank may offer to waive its application fee for a home loan, or a florist might have a 10% discount on roses.

Brands such as BP, Starbucks and McDonalds have signed up to the Direct Access program in North America and Europe.

Ansearch CEO David Burden said "Navigation, mobile and location based information services for mobile devices are just starting to explode globally, and any big brand that attracts walk-in customers can no longer afford to be without a presence on a map when their competitors are there. Nokia's recent acquisition of NAVTEQ further spells out the importance of this play".

Other players such as Sensis are yet to enter the location-based advertising market.