TeleNav study finds that Wal-Mart and Starbucks are the most popular brand names searched by mobile GPS users.

Esther Shein, Contributor

November 4, 2010

2 Min Read

GPS users frequently search for fast-food locations, hotels, retail stores and coffee, according to new data released by TeleNav, a global wireless location-based services provider.

TeleNav’s more than 17 million subscribers entered brand names to do a keyword search in one of the company’s several mobile GPS navigation apps, which the company then identified by analyzing the frequency of those searches.

"Our GPS navigation users are in their vehicles, actively looking for a specific service or business to drive to," said Ky Tang, director of marketing for TeleNav, in a statement. "Our analysis of the businesses our users are actively searching for helps brands understand the behavior and preferences of on-the-go consumers."

McDonald’s was the number-one most-searched restaurant, with more than twice as many searches as Subway, which placed second, according to TeleNav’s findings. They were followed by Taco Bell, KFC and Burger King, which also placed in the top five.

Among hotels, Holiday Inn led in searches with nearly twice as many requests over second-place finisher Marriott. Hampton Inn Hotels & Suites placed third, followed by Motel 6 and Hilton.

Wal-Mart topped the list for retail stores, receiving more than three times the number of searches as competitor Target, followed by Costco. TeleNav’s data also revealed Wal-Mart is the top keyword searched by its users.

Starbucks was the overwhelming choice for coffee drinkers looking for coffee choices on their GPS, receiving over five times more searches than runner-up Dunkin Donuts. After Wal-Mart, Starbucks is the second most searched keyword by TeleNav’s subscribers.

In the Do-it-Yourself category, TeleNav’s data indicated that Home Dept is the two-to-one favorite over Lowe’s when it comes to searches for home improvement. Ace Hardware and Menards placed third and fourth respectively, with less than 10% of cumulative searches conducted for home improvement locations.

Businesses now have the option of placing a sponsored listing at the top of the search results TeleNav’s navigation applications with the company’s recently launched navigation-based mobile advertising platform. Users will receive additional information, such as a coupon or menus when they click on the sponsored listing. TeleNav measures users’ GPS actions, such as calling, mapping or requesting turn-by turn directions to the business location, and then reports the metrics to advertisers.

The keyword search data was gathered anonymously in September 2010 from TeleNav’s GPS subscribers.

About the Author(s)

Esther Shein

Contributor

Esther Shein has extensive experience writing and editing for both print and the web with a focus on business and technology as well as education and general interest features.

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