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Why I Was Wrong About Location-Based Services

Facebook for Higher Education: DoubleDutch

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Seth Odell, a Media Relations Assistant at UCLA, specializing in digital media marketing. He also blogs at AsMediaChanges. In this post, Seth publicly retracts his previous statements about Location-Based Services in Higher Education.

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog post about why higher ed can forget about location-based services. Since then, I’ve discovered the service Double Dutch and have to say they’ve changed my mind. Watch the video below to hear my public apology, and why I think services like Double Dutch are the future of location-based marketing in higher education.

Jul 13, 2010

7 Comments »

Tags: DoubleDutch, foursquare, Location-based, location-based services

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http://edumorphology.com Michael Staton

Hi Seth,

Glad you think so. I think there will be some interesting stuff going down with this kind of information.

As someone who builds a closed platform for HIgher Ed micro-communities, I think there are limitations as well as advantages.

An advantage in a web-based social network is that users are authorized, so users can feel comfortable that everyone they can get to know is relevant to them. Location-based services have this filtering built in: everyone you’re getting to know is relevant to you because they are already around you! So, I’m interested to see how closed vs open networks fare when it comes to this kind of interaction.

One key to success here will be LAUNCH. I made a post called “Go Big or Go Home” you can look for that has comments on that.

Thanks for putting together this video. You should also check out Shout’Em. They’re a double-dutch competitor.

Cheers,

Michael
Danny Briere

So since you are a walking/sitting advertisement for Double Dutch, what does it cost to deploy such an app for a higher ed application? I’d love to deploy this with our applications, but the cost of deployment could make this prohibitive…
http://www.asmediachanes.com Seth

Not sure if you meant that as a slight, but I didn’t take it as one. I have no qualms about heavily promoting companies that are revolutionizing the fields they work in.

The cost really depends entirely on the length and scope of your project. Folks looking for a short run app for a conference could spend as little a few thousand, while organizations looking to customize a robust app with a long shelf life could spend a lot more. Best bet is to drop the DoubleDutch guys an email and get a personalized quote.
Leslie

Kudos to you for the public apology – not the easiest thing to do :).

Question – do you think since students are now heavily trending towards using FourSquare, Gowalla, and other LBS applications, this may be a big challenge for schools to implement a new/additional LBS, especially since not all of each individual’s network (in and outside of the school) may be using Double Dutch?
http://www.asmediachanges.com Seth Odell

Leslie,

That is a GREAT question. While FourSquare is the market leader, students definitely are using all sorts of different LBS applications. Because the user base is so dispersed I think Double Dutch could prove to be a great way to consolidate your audience all into one customized branded user experience.

School’s shouldn’t approach Double Dutch as a way to replace FourSquare or Gowalla, as students can and will still use those services. Rather, I think colleges and universities should approach it as a way to create an experience where every single user has a shared common interest, and that’s the brand that the application is designed around. Having that same common ground with everyone using the services, even if you don’t know them personally, could prove a really great way to enhance the user experience beyond what they can experience with other LBS applications.

Regardless, whatever approach higher ed takes with LBS it is certainly going to be a challenge!
http://www.herzing.edu Clint Carlson

Right now Double Dutch is worthy of a little dinner table chatter and that’s about it. LBS has a long way to go before it steps into a space that is worthy of my attention on a daily basis. The other thing is that students only have so much time on their hands. They won’t use Double Dutch over Foursquare for the same reason they never check their college email addresses: they already have something that works well that they’re familiar with. Two other things: 1) Not necessarily negative, but it is odd that you’re pushing such a little known company so hard, and 2) I love that you’re doing video but pick up a cheap lapel mic (audio-technica ATR3350) and flip a light on. It’ll make a HUGE difference. The Kodak Zi-8 ($175) has a mic jack if you’re camera doesn’t have one and looks great.

Just found your page today and digging the content.

Clint Carlson
Social Media Manager
http://www.asmediachanges.com Seth Odell

Hey Clint,

Thanks for the comment! I’m definitely hoping to pick up a light and up the production quality soon. Unfortunately I’m using a flip right now, so no mic jack at all. Hopefully that should all be upgraded soon!

You are totally right that the main reason people won’t use a custom LBS, built with Double Dutch or a competitor, is because they are already using something, like Foursquare, that works. If their friends are on it and they’re already using it it is highly unlikely anyone can get them to jump ship.

That point, while totally valid and echoing some of the sentiment I shared in my first post about LBS, still doesn’t change the fact that there is some really awesome potential here for people to create really exciting customized LBS apps/sites.

At some point these kind of things will go from dinner chatter to reality, but it may unfortunately not be anytime soon.

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