Technology giant Google has its eyes on the restaurant industry, according to recent news. As
Eater.com reports, the US Patent Office recently approved Google's request for a patent regarding some interesting new advertising technology that - should it ever come to be - could make some major waves in among restauranteurs. With the new service, businesses would have an opportunity to offer free or discounted rides to customers, essentially guaranteeing customer conversion.
The technology utilizes the wealth of data available through a customers smartphone, by tailoring the ads and offers based on their location, habits and who they say they are with during the time the ad is pushed. This information would be used to personalize offers, and using GPS technology, it calculates the cost of a trip to the restaurant and how much a customer would need to spend at said establishment in order for the restaurant operator to recoup the advertising (and transportation) costs.
While there are a lot of unanswered questions regarding exactly how (and how well) a service such as this would perform, the idea is still in its infancy, as Google has made no announcements of plans, just filed the patent. It will be interesting to see where, if anywhere, this technology takes us, and how it may integrate with Google's dream of the driverless vehicle.
What do you think about Google's latest idea, is this something you would spring for at your restaurant? Let us know what you think via Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or Google+!
Source:
Eater.com,
Image Credit (Flickr)
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