Mining large-scale human mobility data for long-term crime prediction

Traditional crime prediction models based on census data are limited, as they fail to capture the complexity and dynamics of human activity. With the rise of ubiquitous computing, there is the opportunity to improve such models with data that make for better proxies of human presence in cities. In this paper, we leverage large human mobility data to craft an extensive set of features for crime prediction, as informed by theories in criminology and urban studies. We employ averaging and boosting ensemble techniques from machine learning, to investigate their power in predicting yearly counts for different types of crimes occurring in New York City at census tract level. Our study shows that spatial and spatio-temporal features derived from Foursquare venues and checkins, subway rides, and taxi rides, improve the baseline models relying on census and POI data. The proposed models achieve absolute R^2 metrics of up to 65% (on a geographical out-of-sample test set) and up to 89% (on a temporal out-of-sample test set). This proves that, next to the residential population of an area, the ambient population there is strongly predictive of the area's crime levels. We deep-dive into the main crime categories, and find that the predictive gain of the human dynamics features varies across crime types: such features bring the biggest boost in case of grand larcenies, whereas assaults are already well predicted by the census features. Furthermore, we identify and discuss top predictive features for the main crime categories. These results offer valuable insights for those responsible for urban policy or law enforcement

Location-based Marketing: the academic framework

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies.Over the last several years one could observe revolution in location-based technologies and geospatial information. Location awareness of mobile devices resulted in development of Location-Based Services (LBS) that are realization of that revolution in the most personal and contextual way. The ability to reach consumers in the highly targeted manner based on spatio-temporal criteria, attracted marketers from the early beginning of LBS creating field called Location-Based Marketing. Today decreasing prices of smartphones and wireless internet, as well as integration of location-aware mobile solutions and social media is leading to new possibilities and opportunities. The academic and professional interests of the author made him noticed that although the industry has challenged a significant development, there is lack of publications that would put an academic framework on that progress. The research has fulfilled this gap by extensive investigation of the current state of the art of Location-Based Marketing and its foundations - Location Based Services. The dissertation provides academic framework by comprehensive analysis of the Location-Based Marketing from LBS and marketing perspective. Further the thesis is addressing the issue of significant discrepancy between theoretical concepts of measurable Location-Based Social Media data and the actual data than can be legally accessed and used for marketing analysis purposes by investigation a case study of Location-Based Social Network - Foursqaure and Location-Based Analytics platform VenueLabs

Location-based social media and the strategic impact for companies

In the last couple of years online social networks expanded to a new field, location (Scellato and Mascolo, 2011). Technologies, such as smartphones and GPS, combined with users’ interest in being connected regardless of their location, created the opportunity for the appearance of location-based social media (Chow et al, 2010). This dissertation focuses in studying if location-based social media has a strategic impact for companies. To contextualize this subject, literature on Web 2.0 and online social media is reviewed. Furthermore, strategic frameworks (Resource Based View) and strategic concepts (Customer Relationship Management and Contextual Marketing) provide the theoretical base through which the discussion is carried. Empirical data collection is conducted in order to understand what are users’ preferences in the context of location-based social media, and to what extent they are willing to interact with companies. Through this process the research hypothesis presented in this dissertation are tested. The results are then extended to the strategic domain, allowing to comprehend under what assumptions location-based social media can be strategic for companies. Through the Resource Based View framework application contextual personalization is considered a factor that may conduct companies to obtain a sustained competitive advantage, by inducing switching costs to their customers, depending on companies’ propensity to appropriate returns from their existing superior capabilities. This dissertation concludes that location-based social networks can have a strategic impact for companies, under the assumptions that network effects exist in location-based social networks and that companies are able to use them in order to perform contextual personalization, originating switching costs for their customers. Additionally, this dissertation aims to contribute for the increase of the current knowledge over an emergent and present subject.Nos últimos dois anos as redes sociais online expandiram-se para uma nova área, localização (Scellato and Mascolo, 2011). Tecnologias, como os “smartphones” e GPS, combinadas com o interesse por parte dos utilizadores em estarem conectados, independentemente da sua localização, criaram a oportunidade para o aparecimento das redes sociais de geo-localização (Chow et al, 2010). Esta dissertação foca-se no estudo da existência ou não de impacto estratégico das redes sociais de geo-localização para as empresas. Para contextualizar este assunto, a literatura sobre Web 2.0 e as redes sociais online é revista. Adicionalmente, “frameworks” (“Resource Based View”) e conceitos (“Customer Relationship Management and Contextual Marketing”) estratégicos providenciam a base teórica através da qual a discussão é conduzida. A recolha de dados empíricos é conduzida com o intuito de compreender quais as preferências dos utilizadores das redes sociais de geo-localização, e até que ponto eles estão dispostos a interagir com as empresas. Através deste processo as hipóteses de investigação foram testadas. Os resultados foram posteriormente estendidos ao domínio estratégico, permitindo compreender sob que pressupostos as redes sociais de geo-localização são estratégicas para as empresas. Através da aplicação do “Resource Based View framework” a personalização contextual é considerada um factor que pode conduzir as empresas à obtenção de uma vantagem competitiva sustentada, induzindo custos de mudança aos seus consumidores, dependendo da capacidade das empresas em se apropriarem de retornos gerados pelas suas capacidades superiores existentes. Esta dissertação conclui que as redes sociais de geo-localização podem ter um impacto estratégico para as empresas, de acordo com os pressupostos de que os efeitos de rede existem nas redes sociais de geo-localização e de que as empresas são capazes de realizar personalização contextual através das mesmas, originando custos de mudança para os seus clientes. Adicionalmente, esta dissertação espera contribuir para o aumento do conhecimento actual sobre um tópico emergente e actual

Social Media and Green Marketing Strategies: An exploratory study of selected leading companies

Social media has become the most popular communication channel. Large amounts of information flows are being exchanged between users. The information shared on social media is seen as more reliable than the information found on traditional media. Companies have already incorporated social media as one of their communication channels. However, the evolution of social media has occurred in such a brief period that companies are uncertain of the appropriate amount to invest in these technologies. The percentage invested on an average marketing budget for social media in companies still accounts for less than 1%. Within companies’ marketing strategies, green marketing constitutes the focus that companies use to promote their green products and sustainability initiatives. The results from the research of this thesis showed that companies are using various communication channels to expose their commitment with social and environmental challenges. Websites contain detailed information about companies’ sustainability profiles, so they have become the main channel of information between companies and stakeholders. Second to these websites Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are the social media channels that also depict a glimpse of the sustainability strategies that are detailed on companies’ websites. Social media is being used to increase reliability of companies’ sustainability claims through the use of pictures, videos, and other hypermedia that support companies’ taking actions in real life activities. Moreover, corporations have come to the realization that not all social media platforms are suitable for engaging stakeholders in longer sustainability discussions. Corporations have instead started to create sustainability blogs within their websites to encourage higher levels of engagement within their various stakeholders. Yet companies still rely on a high information push on social media, which leaves a large floor to develop further strategies that can encourage people to join initiatives that urge a stronger commitment with sustainability

LOCATION-BASED MARKETING: CONCEPTS, TECHNOLOGIES AND SERVICES

siirretty Doriast

Feature info : improving the visualization and usability of GIS background information in the context of a mobile tourist application

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Geospatial TechnologiesFeature info is an interactive map tool that allows viewing background information about a map feature in response to a user action. Mobile devices come with a number of limitations, e.g. small screen real estate and the variety of screen sizes, that can affect map and feature info usability. Existing recommendations for feature info design [1], [2], [3] focus mostly on content, i.e. effective communication of data, leaving the “interaction design” aspect overlooked. This Master’s Thesis attempts at improving the visualization and usability of feature info interfaces in the context of mobile tourist applications and presents nine feature info design guidelines that address specific usability problems. The problems were identified through heuristic evaluation of five tourist applications and a user interview. Literature survey and two usability experts provided ideas regarding how several of these problems can be resolved. Three guidelines were evaluated in a lab-based usability test with twenty participants. On average, assessed guidelines demonstrated a significant positive effect on feature info usability by decreasing task completion time by 33% and increasing task completion rate and System Usability Scale (SUS) score by 26% and 28% respectively. Proposed guidelines are not restricted by any specific use case and can be applied to other application domains. Researchers and business practitioners can use the guidelines as a reference in their daily work