System and method for targeted advertising using geofencing

A message manager coupled to a network and adapted to target message content toward specific target recipients, said target recipients having a mobile electronic device having a device location defined by a device latitude and a device longitude, said mobile electronic device being in electronic communication with a channel server, said channel server coupled to said network, the message manager comprising

• a message database of message manager client messages, each of said client messages including a message content, a message price and a message geographic area into which said message manager may publish said message content to said target recipients;
• a geofencing software routine adapted define said message geographic target area, said geofencing software routine having
• a map adapted to be displayed to said client, said map representing a geographic region;
• a geographic target area software routine adapted to enable said client to select at least three vertices of a map polygon circumscribing said geographic target area on said map;
• and
• a grid adapted to overlay onto said map, said grid having rows and columns defining latitude and longitude coordinates on said map, said grid adapted to intercept and to assign latitude and longitude coordinates to said at least three vertices, said latitude and longitude coordinates defining a polygon;
• a bid receiving software routine adapted to receive bids from said channel server for publishing a select one of said client messages to said mobile electronic device;
• a message selection software routine adapted to contrast said device latitude and said device longitude to said polygon and to compile a group of client messages for which said device location falls within said message geographic target area;
• and
• a price comparison software routine adapted to compare said message price of all of said client messages within said group of client messages and to identify a select one said client messages from said group of client messages for publishing to said mobile electronic device.

An improved method of targeting message content toward specific target recipients, said target recipients having a mobile electronic device having a device location, said mobile electronic device being in electronic communication with a channel server coupled to a network, the improved method comprising

• providing a message manager coupled to said network and in electronic communication with said channel server, said message manager having
• a message database of message manager client messages;
• means for accepting a message from at least one message manager client, said message adapted to be stored in said database of message manager client messages and to be targeted to one or more of said at least one mobile electronic device;
• means for selecting one of said client messages from said message database to be published to one of said at least one mobile electronic device;
• and
• means for publishing said message to said at least one mobile electronic mobile device
• providing a client preferred geographic location associated with each of said client messages;
• providing a client specified price for publishing each of said client messages to said mobile electronic device;
• then
• receiving a request for bids for an opportunity to publish one of said client messages to said mobile electronic device, including receiving said device location;
• then
• selecting a preferred one of said client messages based on said device location and said highest specified price;
• then
• bidding on said opportunity to publish based on said preferred one of said client messages;
• then
• accepting an invitation to publish said preferred one of said client messages from said mobile electronic device;
• then
• publishing said preferred one of said client messages to said mobile electronic device.