Practice Exams:

Unlocking the Potential of Location-Based Intelligence

In an increasingly interconnected world, data has become the lifeblood of digital innovation. One of the most dynamic and transformative types of data is location-based data. It offers businesses an invaluable tool for delivering contextually relevant content to users, precisely when and where it’s most effective. This spatial intelligence is redefining marketing, improving user satisfaction, and ultimately, driving sales upward. By understanding how to leverage location data effectively, businesses can transcend traditional marketing boundaries and create deeply engaging consumer interactions.

The ability to connect with individuals based on their real-time whereabouts is not just a theoretical luxury—it is an evolving necessity. Consumers today expect personalized experiences, and nothing enhances personalization quite like understanding a user’s physical context. When used responsibly and creatively, geolocation can be the silent engine powering meaningful brand relationships.

Turning Frustration Into Opportunity

A compelling application of spatial data involves turning everyday frustrations into memorable interactions. For example, a clever campaign in France by a prominent yogurt brand demonstrated how real-time engagement can reframe a negative experience. Drivers using a navigation application were targeted with cheerful, personalized messages when they were stuck in traffic or made a wrong turn. These messages, crafted with wit and positivity, transformed irritation into amusement, subtly reinforcing brand identity.

Rather than being intrusive, the campaign seamlessly integrated with the driver’s current emotional state. By identifying the perfect moment—when frustration was likely highest—the brand stepped in with a dose of levity and encouragement. This form of geo-contextual marketing resulted in a substantial increase in brand recall, showcasing how location-based strategies can influence perception and memory.

This approach illustrates an underutilized potential of location data: behavioral alignment. Understanding not just where someone is, but what they are likely feeling or doing at that location, elevates the marketing message from generic to genuinely resonant. Whether it’s commuting, shopping, or simply walking through a city, the surrounding environment adds rich layers to a user’s intent and receptivity.

Encouraging Long-Distance Loyalty

Another inventive deployment of location intelligence came from a global furniture retailer that operated a campaign in Dubai with an unusual premise. Customers were rewarded with free merchandise simply for traveling longer distances to the store. What made this effort remarkable was its direct correlation between travel time and reward value. A short drive earned a simple treat, while a nearly hour-long commute could net a piece of furniture.

This imaginative strategy not only boosted foot traffic but deepened consumer commitment. The mechanics of the campaign required enabling smartphone location settings and using a mapping service, ensuring accurate distance tracking. Far from feeling surveilled, participants perceived the rewards as a playful and equitable exchange. The longer the journey, the greater the gift—an idea both whimsical and grounded in technological precision.

Crucially, this campaign tapped into human psychology. The act of earning through effort—especially visible and measurable effort like distance traveled—enhances emotional investment. The brand’s willingness to reward this effort created a sense of mutual respect and appreciation. Moreover, by blending geographic data with experiential marketing, the retailer demonstrated how digital tools can be used to foster real-world loyalty.

Precision and Personalization at Scale

As brands navigate a crowded digital landscape, the ability to deliver personalized experiences at scale becomes a competitive differentiator. Location-based data plays a pivotal role here, allowing marketers to transcend demographic targeting in favor of situational relevance. Rather than just knowing a consumer’s age or income bracket, brands can now understand what street they’re walking down, what event they’re attending, or which store they just exited.

This granularity empowers businesses to serve content and offers that feel tailored to the moment. Whether it’s suggesting a coffee shop during a rainy stroll or offering a last-minute discount to someone near a retail outlet, the immediacy and relevance of these messages heighten their effectiveness. The more naturally a marketing message fits into a consumer’s current reality, the more likely it is to be well received.

Additionally, spatial data enriches consumer profiles in a way that static data points never could. Patterns in movement—such as daily commutes, frequent stops, and even periods of inactivity—reveal preferences, routines, and habits. These insights can inform not just what message to deliver, but when and how to deliver it. By respecting user rhythms, marketers can align communication with moments of peak receptivity.

Human-Centered Innovation Through Technology

It’s tempting to view geolocation purely through a commercial lens, but its applications reach beyond marketing. At its heart, location-based data is about understanding people within the fabric of their lived environment. This holistic approach opens avenues for empathetic design and user-centric experiences.

Consider the nuance in how people interact with space. A park may serve as a morning jog spot, a weekend picnic venue, or a romantic stroll destination—all for different individuals. Recognizing these layered uses allows brands to design experiences that resonate deeply and respectfully. It’s not just about being present in a location; it’s about understanding the role that location plays in someone’s life.

This philosophy encourages ethical innovation. Transparency, consent, and value exchange are not just legal requirements—they are cornerstones of trust. When users feel that location tracking brings tangible benefits without compromising privacy, they are more inclined to participate willingly. In this way, geolocation becomes a tool not of manipulation, but of meaningful engagement.

Seamless Integration With Everyday Life

One of the most powerful aspects of spatial data is its invisibility. When used well, it integrates effortlessly into daily routines. A person receives a timely reminder to pick up their dry cleaning as they pass by the shop. A discount notification pops up just as they approach a familiar store. These subtle nudges, grounded in place and time, can guide behavior without being disruptive.

Such integrations require a blend of technology and tact. It’s not enough to know where someone is; the message must align with their likely intentions and emotional state. Overuse or poor timing can quickly turn helpful hints into unwelcome intrusions. The art lies in calibration—knowing when to speak and when to stay silent.

The convergence of mobile technology, machine learning, and geolocation has made this balance achievable. Algorithms now have the capability to assess not just location, but movement patterns, time of day, and even historical context. This rich tapestry of data points allows brands to act with intuition, delivering interactions that feel more like serendipity than strategy.

Personalized Advertising in Medical Environments Through Location-Based Data

Location data continues to shape new frontiers in consumer engagement, and one of the most fascinating and nuanced applications is emerging in the healthcare sector. While traditional marketing efforts often shy away from medical settings due to their sensitivity, recent innovations are pushing the envelope by carefully and respectfully utilizing spatial intelligence to deliver hyper-relevant information. As the healthcare industry becomes more digitally integrated, the possibilities for using geolocation to deliver timely and meaningful content to patients are expanding.

In medical environments, where trust and discretion are paramount, location-based targeting must tread with a particular finesse. It is not merely about reaching users where they are, but about understanding the context, the mood, and the needs of that moment. When done responsibly, this method offers a subtle yet impactful way to communicate with individuals during critical decision-making periods.

Contextual Precision Within Clinics

Imagine a patient sitting in a waiting room, perhaps anxious about a consultation. This individual is connected to the facility’s Wi-Fi, scrolling through their device to pass the time. In this scenario, precise and empathetically framed messages can be delivered to educate or inform them about treatment options, wellness products, or lifestyle improvements that relate to their immediate concerns.

Pharmaceutical brands have begun adopting such models. Through partnerships with data services that analyze Wi-Fi connection points, these companies can target specific medical practices such as cardiology or pediatrics. By identifying a visitor’s presence in a particular type of clinic, they can tailor advertisements accordingly—offering cholesterol-lowering solutions in a heart clinic or flu remedies in a general practice.

Such campaigns are designed with discretion and relevance at their core. There’s no flashing banner or intrusive alert—just subtle, context-appropriate messaging that appears during organic browsing. This approach creates a natural touchpoint in a moment when the user may be most receptive to medical-related content.

Enhancing Engagement Without Breaching Trust

Perhaps the greatest challenge—and opportunity—of using location data in healthcare lies in preserving trust. Consumers are rightly vigilant about privacy, particularly regarding health. Thus, every interaction must be grounded in consent, clarity, and purpose. When users feel that their data is being used to genuinely benefit them, they are more likely to engage positively.

This ethical imperative necessitates a transparent value exchange. Users must understand why they are seeing certain messages and how their information is being utilized. Opt-in processes, clear privacy policies, and easy control over settings are essential. When brands demonstrate integrity in how they use location data, they establish a rapport that fosters long-term loyalty.

Moreover, these campaigns don’t just increase direct sales—they enhance the broader brand ecosystem. Known as the “halo effect,” this phenomenon occurs when a positive impression of one product elevates the perception of other offerings from the same brand. Location-based health campaigns have demonstrated an ability to spark this effect, leading to increased affinity across a company’s entire portfolio.

Tailoring Content to Emotional States

An often-overlooked aspect of spatial marketing is the emotional tone of the environment. In medical spaces, where stress or concern may be prevalent, tone becomes crucial. Ads must adopt a calming, informative, and supportive voice. The goal is not just to sell a product but to offer comfort, empowerment, and clarity.

For example, a migraine relief product promoted in a neurology clinic should not just highlight its efficacy but also acknowledge the experience of those suffering. Words like “relief,” “ease,” and “restore” resonate more in such settings than aggressive calls to action. By aligning language and imagery with the patient’s likely mindset, marketers craft interactions that feel less like advertising and more like advocacy.

This strategic empathy differentiates successful location-based campaigns from those that feel intrusive or irrelevant. It underscores a key truth: understanding where a person is also requires insight into what they’re likely feeling.

Temporal Sensitivity and Micro-Moments

Another dimension to consider is time. Location data doesn’t exist in a vacuum—it intersects with moments. A person waiting for a medical consultation is in a different cognitive and emotional space than someone walking through a shopping district. These micro-moments, brief yet potent windows of opportunity, allow for communication that feels serendipitous rather than calculated.

The intersection of place and time forms a lattice of meaning. When brands understand this lattice, they can weave messaging into it with remarkable subtlety. A reminder about allergy medication as spring begins, delivered while a patient visits their allergist, feels intuitive. It speaks to both seasonality and context, enhancing relevance without overt targeting.

Temporal alignment can also inform cadence. Rather than bombarding a user with multiple messages, a well-timed, single nudge can be far more effective. It suggests attentiveness, not aggression. It implies that the brand understands not just where the consumer is, but when to reach out.

Data as Dialogue, Not Surveillance

One of the common apprehensions surrounding geolocation technology, particularly in healthcare, is the fear of surveillance. The difference between being supported and being watched often lies in presentation and intention. Location-based advertising in medical spaces must feel like a gentle nudge rather than a voyeuristic intrusion.

This is where design and copywriting play pivotal roles. The interface must be elegant, the messaging respectful, and the tone human. Users should feel that they are being guided, not scrutinized. Data must be wielded not as a magnifying glass, but as a lantern—illuminating paths without overexposing.

Such finesse can only come from deep collaboration between technologists, ethicists, marketers, and healthcare professionals. Together, they must design ecosystems that respect dignity while delivering value. This multidisciplinary approach transforms geolocation from a transactional tool into a relational one.

A Constellation of Use Cases

Beyond pharmaceutical promotions, the use cases for location-based engagement in medical settings are vast. Consider wellness centers offering meditation tips based on location and time of day, or dental clinics providing post-visit reminders tailored to a patient’s recent treatment and proximity. Pediatric offices might share educational content with parents waiting with their children, turning idle moments into learning opportunities.

Each of these scenarios illustrates a paradigm shift. Rather than treating location data as a static marker, it is viewed as a narrative thread—an entry point into the user’s lived experience. This storytelling lens reframes marketing as an ongoing dialogue, not a one-time push.

The Emerging Language of Place

As brands refine their spatial strategies, a new lexicon is emerging—one rooted in the semantics of place. It’s not just about cities or zip codes; it’s about rhythms, rituals, and routines. A hospital is not simply a building; it’s a nexus of emotion, decision, and transformation. Recognizing this depth allows marketers to approach each location with the reverence and creativity it deserves.

This sensitivity gives rise to campaigns that feel handcrafted, not mass-produced. When a message aligns seamlessly with both place and moment, it doesn’t feel like marketing—it feels like relevance. And in a world saturated with content, relevance is the rarest and most prized commodity.

Charting the Ethical Horizon

As with any powerful tool, the ethical horizon of geolocation marketing must be continually reassessed. In healthcare especially, where stakes are high and vulnerabilities apparent, companies must not only comply with regulations but exceed them. Proactive transparency, meaningful consent, and user control are not optional—they are foundational.

The future of spatial marketing in medicine depends on this integrity. Brands that prioritize respect over reach will find not only better outcomes but deeper loyalty. By viewing data as a responsibility rather than a resource, they can pioneer a more humane, intelligent era of engagement.

Strategic Expansion of 5G Networks Powered by Location-Based Data

As the digital age charges forward, the rollout of the 5G network represents one of the most ambitious undertakings in modern telecommunications. With an estimated investment of over a quarter of a trillion dollars, the global effort to install this ultra-fast infrastructure is more than a technological upgrade—it’s a societal shift. At the heart of this transformation is the strategic application of location-based data, which enables telecom operators to make informed, cost-effective, and community-focused decisions about where and when to deploy their resources.

The intricacies of expanding 5G are vast. From identifying optimal cell tower locations to anticipating consumer demand, every aspect of this network revolution benefits from spatial insights. Understanding geography in granular detail is no longer optional—it is essential.

The Informed Deployment of Infrastructure

The first major hurdle in the expansion of 5G is determining where infrastructure should be built. Unlike its predecessors, 5G relies on a dense network of small cells rather than a few massive towers. This shift requires precise planning and intimate knowledge of local environments. Here, geolocation data serves as the linchpin.

Operators can analyze foot traffic patterns, population density, and usage trends to select neighborhoods that would benefit most from enhanced connectivity. This data-driven prioritization ensures that installations are both technically effective and economically viable. Moreover, it helps bridge the digital divide by directing resources to underserved or overlooked communities where the demand may be silently growing.

With spatial data, providers can visualize heat maps of data usage, track areas with high latency, and correlate those findings with geographic constraints like buildings or natural obstructions. This cartographic intelligence streamlines decision-making, minimizing guesswork and maximizing impact.

Consumer Insights Fueling Network Strategy

Beyond infrastructure logistics, spatial intelligence provides telecom companies with a deeper understanding of consumer behavior. Knowing where individuals use their devices most intensively informs marketing efforts, subscription offerings, and customer service strategies.

For instance, a neighborhood known for high mobile streaming during evening hours might benefit from specific promotions or bandwidth allocations. Commuter routes that exhibit high data consumption can guide investment in roadside small cells or mobile-friendly advertising. Each of these decisions, grounded in location data, helps providers optimize not only technical performance but also customer satisfaction.

Additionally, as 5G services are introduced, location-based insights allow for real-time feedback loops. Consumers encountering performance issues can trigger automated diagnostics that include their geographic coordinates. These reports feed into predictive maintenance systems, enabling technicians to address problems before they escalate. This spatially-aware responsiveness marks a significant advancement in service reliability.

Marketing That Speaks to Place and Need

With 5G capabilities unevenly distributed in its early stages, targeted marketing becomes vital. Blanket advertisements would not only be inefficient but also potentially misleading. Instead, telecoms are turning to location-based advertising to ensure that only residents within 5G-enabled areas receive promotional content.

These campaigns don’t merely inform—they engage. By highlighting the specific benefits of 5G in the context of a user’s daily life, such as reduced buffering during video calls or faster uploads for content creators, marketers can illustrate tangible improvements. The message becomes less about technology and more about experience.

Moreover, spatially-driven campaigns can be layered with demographic and psychographic data, allowing for hyper-personalized messaging. A university district might be shown ads emphasizing seamless online learning, while a financial center could receive messaging focused on data security and transaction speed.

Future-Proofing With Predictive Modeling

One of the most potent uses of geolocation in telecom is the ability to future-proof investments. Through predictive modeling, companies can simulate how neighborhoods might evolve—whether through population growth, urban development, or changing consumer habits.

These simulations help forecast demand, enabling operators to deploy with foresight rather than reaction. If a new residential complex is planned, for example, network infrastructure can be embedded during construction rather than retrofitted later. This anticipatory strategy not only saves money but also improves performance and resident satisfaction.

Furthermore, geospatial analysis can identify emergent trends. Perhaps an area that was previously low-traffic becomes a hotspot due to a new commercial hub. With real-time monitoring, telecoms can adjust their plans on the fly, embodying a nimble and responsive operational model.

Integrating Feedback From the Field

Another valuable application of spatial data is in the facilitation of field technician workflows. Equipping technicians with location-aware devices allows them to receive optimized routing, on-site diagnostics, and real-time updates. They can also log geographic coordinates of issues, helping the system recognize clusters and systemic weaknesses.

This geographic intelligence is crucial in building resilient networks. It creates a feedback-rich ecosystem where frontline data continuously informs back-end strategy. Each interaction, from a dropped call to a speed test result, becomes a data point that helps refine the entire network.

Additionally, this spatial loop can be shared with consumers in a simplified form. By offering coverage maps and outage alerts based on precise locations, companies empower users with knowledge and build transparency. This symbiotic exchange transforms users into collaborators in network optimization.

Societal Impact and the Geography of Access

Perhaps the most profound implication of geolocation in 5G expansion is its ability to shape social equity. The digital divide has long been influenced by geography—rural and economically disadvantaged areas often lag behind in connectivity. Location-based planning can expose these gaps with stark clarity.

By overlaying income data, educational access, and existing infrastructure with connectivity metrics, telecoms can identify not just where coverage is lacking, but where it is most needed. This insight guides initiatives aimed at democratizing access—whether through public-private partnerships, subsidized installations, or community-centric outreach.

In this light, spatial data becomes a tool of empowerment. It challenges companies to consider not just profitability but responsibility. And in doing so, it transforms 5G from a commercial endeavor into a vehicle for societal advancement.

Invisible Networks, Visible Change

As 5G installations become more ubiquitous, their presence will increasingly blend into the urban and rural fabric. Small cells hidden on lamp posts, rooftop antennas seamlessly integrated into buildings—these elements form the invisible scaffolding of a new digital era. Yet the intelligence behind their placement is anything but invisible.

Location data continues to guide every bolt and beam, ensuring that the infrastructure is not just present but purposeful. It’s an orchestration of precision, where every decision reflects a deep understanding of terrain, usage, and human flow.

The invisibility of the network contrasts with the visibility of its effects. Faster emergency response times, more efficient logistics, smoother remote work and education—all these outcomes begin with spatial decisions made in boardrooms and data centers.

A Landscape of Continuous Evolution

What sets 5G apart is not just speed but adaptability. Its modular nature allows for ongoing enhancements, each informed by the evolving needs of users. This dynamic infrastructure demands equally dynamic planning.

Geolocation provides the agility required to keep pace. It turns static maps into living landscapes, where real-time data drives decisions. Whether it’s adapting to a sudden influx of visitors for a large event or preparing for seasonal shifts in usage, location awareness makes networks not only faster but smarter.

Ultimately, the marriage of 5G and location data is a paradigm of modern synergy. It’s a testament to how ancient knowledge of place—once used for navigation and settlement—has been reborn as a cornerstone of digital strategy.

As we stand at the threshold of ubiquitous connectivity, the role of spatial intelligence cannot be overstated. It is the compass guiding us through this uncharted terrain, ensuring that the network of tomorrow is built not just with cables and towers, but with insight, empathy, and an enduring sense of place.

Enriching Daily Life and Human Connection With Location-Based Data

The true power of location-based data lies not only in its commercial potential but in its ability to enrich everyday human experiences. As people navigate their neighborhoods, commute to work, or explore unfamiliar cities, geolocation technologies can inform, guide, and even entertain. 

The ambient presence of location-based tools—often embedded in voice assistants, navigation apps, or dating platforms—is creating a subtle but significant shift in how people interact with the world around them. It’s a shift marked by immediacy, personalization, and increasingly, an emotional dimension.

Contextual Awareness in Entertainment and Culture

One of the most engaging applications of location intelligence is its ability to keep individuals updated about events and happenings in their area. Rather than requiring users to search manually for concerts, art exhibitions, or food festivals, modern systems are now capable of offering contextually relevant suggestions based on a user’s physical whereabouts.

Through the integration of conversational AI with location-aware services, users can simply ask, “What’s happening near me this weekend?” or “Are there any open-air events in the city center tonight?” and receive answers that are both accurate and personalized. This shift toward voice-activated discovery creates a seamless bridge between curiosity and opportunity.

What makes these systems even more intriguing is their ability to anticipate follow-up needs. After discovering a jazz concert happening downtown, a user might be prompted with information about weather conditions, or even offered a quick way to arrange transport. The digital interface thus becomes an extension of the physical journey—a virtual concierge that walks beside the user, adjusting in real time to shifting intentions and preferences.

From Isolation to Connection: Matchmaking in the Digital Age

Spatial intelligence also plays an increasingly pivotal role in the realm of human connection. In recent years, location-based matchmaking platforms have gained popularity on college campuses and within urban centers. These services do more than just calculate proximity—they use spatial data to assess shared environments, overlapping routines, and community touchpoints.

A particularly innovative implementation invited students from various universities to answer a series of personalized questions tied to their campus experience. By analyzing responses alongside geographical patterns, the system identified potential matches not just through preference, but shared context—same library haunts, late-night dining spots, or recurring paths between dormitories and classrooms.

This layer of environmental commonality adds depth to digital interaction. It moves beyond superficial attributes and taps into the essence of daily experience. By matching users who not only think alike but live within parallel rhythms, these systems elevate the possibility of authentic connection.

Moreover, the data gleaned through such platforms provides a valuable reflection of social behaviors. For example, insight into which residence halls have the most active participants, or whether more users live off-campus, can help refine future campaigns or even improve on-campus services.

Hyperlocal Awareness for Daily Decision-Making

As geolocation becomes more deeply embedded in mobile operating systems and applications, its influence on everyday decision-making is becoming increasingly profound. People are beginning to rely on their devices not only for navigation but for making micro-decisions—where to grab lunch, when to leave to avoid traffic, or whether to take a different walking route based on local events.

These choices, though seemingly small, accumulate into significant patterns of behavior. And it’s precisely within these small moments that brands and services have the opportunity to offer value. Imagine walking past a bookstore and receiving a gentle suggestion about a book signing happening inside within the next hour. Or being nudged to check out a café around the corner because your previous visits suggest you might enjoy its quiet atmosphere during afternoon hours.

Such nudges rely on more than just coordinates. They depend on learned preferences, behavior over time, and the artful prediction of needs. It’s a fusion of memory and movement—creating a personalized map of potential, visible only to the individual it serves.

Designing for the Ephemeral

A fascinating aspect of spatial interaction is its impermanence. The same location may mean different things to different people and even to the same person at different times. A city park might be a place for exercise in the morning, a reading nook in the afternoon, and a concert venue at night.

Recognizing this dynamic allows designers and developers to craft experiences that evolve with time and use. Location-based notifications can shift tone, content, and frequency depending on time of day, local foot traffic, or even weather conditions. It’s an ephemeral design philosophy—building interfaces that mirror the transience of human experience.

This attentiveness cultivates a sense of synchronicity. Rather than bombarding users with static suggestions, systems begin to speak the language of the moment. They become less like tools and more like companions, attuned to subtle shifts in mood and circumstance.

Spatial Data as Cultural Mirror

Beyond personal convenience, geolocation technologies are increasingly serving as mirrors of culture. Through aggregated and anonymized data, urban planners, sociologists, and community organizers can glean insights into how people move, gather, and participate in civic life.

For example, patterns in public event attendance, pedestrian movement, or transportation usage can inform policies about infrastructure, public safety, or even environmental impact. These insights help cities respond not only to what residents say they need, but what their behaviors reveal.

From a business perspective, this information can illuminate untapped markets or underutilized areas. A district that sees heavy foot traffic during lunch hours but has no nearby eateries presents a clear opportunity. Likewise, a quiet corner park suddenly bustling in the evenings could become the site of future community events.

In this way, spatial data contributes to a living urban narrative. It transforms abstract maps into human-centered stories, with each movement and moment adding a chapter.

Ethical Dimensions of Intimacy

As geolocation becomes more embedded in intimate aspects of life, the question of ethical responsibility grows louder. These technologies, though powerful, must be handled with discretion, transparency, and consent. Users must not only be informed about data collection but feel they are part of the process, able to opt in or out with ease and clarity.

Trust is the bedrock upon which successful spatial systems are built. Without it, even the most innovative features risk alienation. Companies must therefore go beyond regulatory compliance and embrace ethical design—creating experiences that respect user agency while offering genuine benefit.

This includes being thoughtful about what data is collected, how long it is stored, and for what purposes it is used. It also means crafting interfaces that explain their function clearly, without jargon or obfuscation. The goal is not just legal safety, but moral clarity.

Conclusion

The use of location data can become a form of digital poetry. It transforms ordinary interactions into experiences shaped by space and time. It fosters serendipity—the right moment, the right place, the right suggestion.

Whether it’s a local band discovered while exploring a new neighborhood, or a chance encounter made possible by shared routines, location-aware systems have the capacity to surprise and delight. They awaken curiosity and deepen a person’s relationship to their environment.

The future of spatial technology lies not only in precision, but in feeling. In understanding that each location is layered with memory, possibility, and narrative. By embracing this complexity, developers and brands can create experiences that resonate on both a practical and poetic level.

As our devices become more attuned to our whereabouts, the challenge will be to ensure that they also become attuned to our humanity. Because in the end, location-based data is not just about where we are—it’s about who we are when we’re there.