TeleNav today released interesting usage data on which brands mobile users are searching for using the company’s many mobile GPS navigation applications.
Of its more than 17 million subscribers, TeleNav analyzed how frequently its users entered brand names as a keyword searches, and found that select brands in a variety of vertical industries are beating out the competition for their share of mobile, local searches. “Our GPS navigation users are in their vehicles, actively looking for a specific service or business to drive to,” explained Ky Tang, director of marketing for TeleNav. “Our analysis of the businesses our users are actively searching for helps brands understand the behavior and preferences of on-the-go consumers.”
For example, fast food is obviously searched for more than others, with the data showing six of the top ten most searched restaurants in the Nation being fast-food locations. McDonald’s tops the charts as the number one searched restaurant, with more than twice as many searches as second place Subway. Taco Bell, KFC and Burger King round out the top five, respectively. Hotels are another highly searched vertical, with Holiday Inn being the number one searched for hotel with nearly twice as many searches for its properties than second place Marriott. Hampton took third place, followed by Motel 6 and Hilton.
In terms of shopping, TeleNav analyzed data to determine which large retail stores consumers search for most while on the road. Interestingly, the results found that Walmart tops the list by far, with more than three times as many searches as second place Target. Even more surprising, Walmart also holds the distinction as being the top searched keyword overall among TeleNav users. Of course, this data was released to show the immense marketing potential TeleNav’s new mobile advertising platform can provide.
The company recently launched its navigation-based mobile-ad platform to enable businesses, such as restaurants, hotels and retail stores, to place a sponsored listing at the top of the search results located in its mobile navigation applications. When users click on the sponsored listing, the advertiser can provide additional information to the user such as a coupon or menu information. The user can then choose to call, map or receive turn-by-turn directions to drive to the business location, all of which are actions TeleNav measures and reports as metrics to advertisers.
“This usage analysis demonstrates the wealth of data and insights we have into what drivers are searching for when they’re on the road,” said Tang. “If a brand is not a top searched destination, they can use our ad platform to place their listing at the top of the search results list, giving them more visibility with our users. If the brand is already frequently searched by our users, our ad platform can be used to include deals or coupons within their listings, rewarding consumers for being loyal to their brand and helping to increase the number of users who choose to visit a location after conducting a search.”
