I had the pleasure of attending a lecture by Amy Webb of Webbmedia Group at Loyola University Chicago, discussing Tech Trends of the Future. She discussed the topic of ambient social discovery tools which are quickly becoming the ‘next big thing.’ Webb explained that she was a tech judge at South by Southwest Interactive and saw large usage of ambient social discovery tools. Researching this topic further confirmed that there has been vast coverage of these emerging applications from the SXSW.
Social discovery tools that locate you by your phone’s GPS to connect to an area. The app then pulls information from your public social networking sites to project that information to others in the near vicinity. The tools are aimed at matching people with similar interests as listed on these sites.
The apps can be useful for people wanting to meet new clients, friends, or partner. Merchants can use them for pushing deals and promotions to people. There are a few variations of these types of apps.
For example, Scene Tap is an app that uses real-time facial recognition technology to determine how many people are in a bar or restaurant and their gender. The bars are wired with cameras at the entrances and exits that detect patrons in the facility. The purpose allows users to understand the crowd or ‘tap into the scene’ before they choose where they go for the evening. Users will be able to use the app to see if the bar they want to go to has people in it and their gender.
Other real-time apps are aimed at building connections to the people who are physically close to you. Highlight and Sonar were among the most popular at the SXSW. Highlight is a free iPhone app that allows you to see their social media profiles of those around you on your phone and it will highlight your similar interests and if you have mutual friends. Sonar works in a similar way.
Webb explained at her lecture how powerful these tools can be for tracking down sources, competitors and high-profile people you may not have recognized otherwise. It lets you gather information about people around you so you never miss a networking opportunity.
Although Webb explains that it can be used to find important or valuable people, an Adweek article displays a bit of hesitation when introducing these apps for brand purposes when recommending it to clients. The article did mention that a Wired magazine pop-up store used Sonar to personally recommend products to consumers.
As with most online tools that transmit personal information there will be concerns about privacy and that it comes off as creepy. But then again, if someone described Facebook 15 years ago that probably would have too.
Do you plan on using social discovery apps to connect with people around you?
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