Whatser, the location-based service that lets users share their favorite locations with friends and discover new ones, is rolling out a new money-making feature today: Brands can now create collections of their favourite locations, which users of the platform can then ‘follow’.
Collections are a form of location curation so in this sense brands get to put their stamp on places that are worth checking out, perhaps around a certain theme that, conveniently, ties-in with the brand’s own offering. So, for example, Heineken could start a collection with rooftop bars around the world that a user can follow. Or Red Bull could host a collection of skateparks around the world.
Places can also be tagged so that users are able to see straight away if, for example, they serve Heineken, to stick with our earlier scenario. Brands also get access to anonymous analytics.
None of this comes free, however. Depending on size of collection, prices start from €1,000 per-month. But it’s certainly an interesting kind of ad unit and innovative to boot.
Dutch mobility company Bugaboo is the first brand to take up the offer. The Bugaboo collection helps users find parent-friendly spots such as parks, shops, museums, cafés, restaurants and playgrounds. It currently houses 350 spots in cities including Amsterdam, Berlin, Barcelona, London, Paris, New York and Los Angeles.