Introduction to Location Intelligence

A major brewery had a new idea for how to find new customers, create new buzz, and build new loyalty. They had big-time marketing, distribution into stores large and small, and strong relationships with customers, eateries, and bars. What they wanted to do was create their own branded pubs, but they needed decisive insight and intelligence about their own business. So, they mapped the popularity of craft beers by neighborhood, studied nighttime traffic patterns, and added information on the density and appeal of other restaurants and bars.

The Power of "Where"

They looked at dining-out behavior and spending, where it was rising or declining by category, and areas that were expanding, teasing out places where income might increase and demographics were shifting to match their target groups. They created their own business intelligence portfolio around the brewery idea, built on a single quality: Location. Business intelligence that melds internal customer and operational data with external data of every sort. The question they were trying to answer was, "Where would people be most interested in these new brew pubs?" and "Where do the demographics, values, behaviors, and preferences match the new community the brewer is hoping to tap?"

The Importance of Location in Business

“Where?” is really the question of the moment, whether you’re in construction or energy, consumer goods or retail, restaurants or banking. “Where” questions are incredibly potent—they unlock growth, efficiencies, and innovation. Oddly, though, location is the one thing most often missing from strategic planning, analysis, business intelligence, and operations. Leaving out location means missing chances for efficiency in operations and supply chain, reducing risk, improving marketing effectiveness, and increasing adaptability in an uncertain business environment.

The Cost of Missing Location Intelligence

Leaving out location means missing the chance to grow existing customers in unexpected ways and to find new customers and markets. You’re missing opportunity. Location isn’t about where you are, it’s about where you’re going. There are tools to bring location intelligence right into existing business intelligence platforms, exponentially enriching their analytical power. We’re talking about being able to make the invisible visible—patterns, perils, possibilities—and to map the future.

Mapping and Spatial Analytics

This approach has a name: mapping and spatial analytics. It’s making sure you’re applying “where” to basically every question and analysis your company undertakes. It’s weaving spatial intelligence into all the other kinds of intelligence analysis you already do. Once you start using it, ‘where’ becomes not just intuitive, it becomes instantly compelling. You start asking, in every setting, how does location fit into this? What about “the where”? Two things are key: ‘spatial analytics’ are easy to use—the complexity is under the hood. And as you’ll quickly see, it provides a striking competitive advantage.

Real-World Applications of Mapping and Spatial Analytics

Here are a few examples of how different industries are using mapping and spatial analytics:

• Retail: The third largest fast-food chain in the U.S. by sales uses location data for everything from site selection and drive-through optimization to supply chain risk management and competitive intelligence.
• Consumer goods: One of the world’s largest apparel companies uses mapping and analytics to trace its supply chain across 40 countries and compress six-month reporting tasks into days or weeks.
• Logistics and transportation: One of America’s largest transportation services companies uses mapping and spatial analytics to assess where its customers are, where its trucks are, and where its service depots are.
• Banking: A major bank serving the Southeast and Midwest U.S. uses mapping and analytics to figure out where it should grow and expand its services.

The Value of Location Intelligence

Not all locations are equal. In business, we know this intuitively—not all outlets do the same volume, not all neighborhoods have the same growth prospects, not all communities face the same kinds of extreme weather risk or climate opportunity. Location is not some niche quality anymore; it’s a kind of master key that unlocks all the other elements of business intelligence in ways that are revealing, creative, and energizing.

Conclusion

Location intelligence is a powerful tool that can help businesses make informed decisions, reduce risk, and increase efficiency. By applying “where” to every question and analysis, companies can unlock growth, innovation, and competitive advantage. With the right tools and techniques, businesses can make the invisible visible, map the future, and thrive in a dynamic and uncertain environment.

FAQs

• What is location intelligence?: Location intelligence refers to the process of using geographic data and spatial analysis to gain insights and make informed decisions.
• How can location intelligence be used in business?: Location intelligence can be used in a variety of ways, including site selection, supply chain optimization, risk management, and competitive intelligence.
• What are the benefits of using location intelligence?: The benefits of using location intelligence include increased efficiency, reduced risk, and improved decision-making.
• What tools and techniques are used in location intelligence?: The tools and techniques used in location intelligence include geographic information systems (GIS), spatial analysis, and mapping and spatial analytics software.
• How can I get started with location intelligence?: To get started with location intelligence, you can begin by identifying your business needs and goals, and then exploring the various tools and techniques available to help you achieve them.

We’re drowning in climate headlines. Every week brings more reports about disappearing species, collapsing ecosystems, or yet another environmental tipping point. It’s exhausting. And it’s easy to feel like the damage is too big, too complex, or too far gone to fix.

The Power of Ocean with David Attenborough

That’s what makes Ocean with David Attenborough—the new documentary directed by Toby Nowlan and narrated by Sir David Attenborough—so powerful. It doesn’t offer false comfort or vague inspiration. It presents a clear, science-backed message: the ocean is more resilient than we thought, and protecting it is the most powerful thing we can do right now to restore the health of the planet.

The Ocean Bounces Back—Fast

Dr. Enric Sala has spent the last 15 years proving that point. Once a university professor, Sala left academia after realizing he was spending his days documenting the slow death of the sea. He now leads National Geographic’s Pristine Seas initiative, which combines exploration, policy, science, and storytelling to create marine protected areas (MPAs) around the world. So far, his team has helped establish 29 of them—covering an area larger than the Amazon rainforest.

Findings and Implications

The findings so far are staggering. Fully protected marine reserves quickly regenerate. Fish populations can increase fivefold. Coral reefs damaged by bleaching events often recover in a few short years—if given the chance. These aren’t isolated pockets of recovery. From the Southern Line Islands to the coasts of California, the pattern is the same: when you stop taking, the ocean gives back.

The 30×30 Goal: Ambitious, But Possible

Despite these results, just 3% of the global ocean is fully protected today. Scientists say we need to protect at least 30%—both land and sea—by 2030 to maintain a livable planet. That 30×30 goal has been endorsed by governments, conservationists, and NGOs around the world. But Ocean isn’t a policy documentary. It’s not filled with charts and legislative jargon. It uses stunning visuals and emotional storytelling to make the science real—and personal.

The Film’s Message

The film’s message is direct: saving the ocean isn’t just a climate issue. It’s a life support issue. Half of the oxygen we breathe comes from the sea. The ocean regulates temperature, absorbs carbon, and feeds billions. If it collapses, it will have a cascading effect that collapses everything else with it.

One Clear Solution—Not a Laundry List

One thing that makes Ocean different from other environmental films is its focus on a single, proven action. While many documentaries leave viewers overwhelmed with advice—buy local, drive less, eat plant-based—Ocean makes a case for one big move: expand marine protection. “We wanted to focus on one solution,” Sala explained. “There is one proven solution that works everywhere… that actually can be applied by governments, by communities, by anybody.”

Why This Story Needed David Attenborough

The film is also shaped by director Toby Nowlan, whose credits include Planet Earth II and Our Planet. Nowlan has spent two decades filming the rarest, most vulnerable wildlife on Earth—including securing the best footage ever captured of the critically endangered Javan rhino. With Ocean, he wanted to make one message stick: protecting the sea works. It’s not theory. It’s happening now. That’s why having Attenborough narrate the film matters. His voice has become a universal symbol of trust in nature storytelling. His presence here elevates the message, giving it weight at a time when public trust is rare and essential.

A Call to Protect Our “Ocean Backyard”

One of the moments that stuck with me most in our conversation was Sala’s reminder that this isn’t just about the Arctic or the Great Barrier Reef. “If you live on the coast, you can be the person who leads your community to protect your ocean backyard,” he said. That line matters. It reframes the ocean as not just a remote wilderness, but a shared resource that touches every life—no matter where we live.

Conclusion

We don’t need another film telling us how bad things are. We need stories that show us how to fix it. Ocean with David Attenborough does exactly that. It’s beautiful, emotional, and urgent—but also deeply practical. The science is real. The path is clear. And the results are already visible in every corner of the sea that’s been given time to heal. If governments follow through on the 30×30 promise—and if communities join the push—we could see the greatest comeback story the natural world has ever told. And it starts with protecting what’s below the surface. Check out Ocean with David Attenborough for yourself. It is available now to stream on Disney+ and Hulu.

FAQs

• Q: What is the main message of Ocean with David Attenborough?
  A: The main message is that the ocean is more resilient than we thought, and protecting it is the most powerful thing we can do to restore the planet’s health.
• Q: What is the 30×30 goal?
  A: The 30×30 goal is to protect at least 30% of the global ocean and land by 2030 to maintain a livable planet.
• Q: How can individuals contribute to ocean protection?
  A: Individuals can contribute by supporting legislation, raising awareness, and protecting local waters, especially if they live in coastal communities.
• Q: Where can I watch Ocean with David Attenborough?
  A: Ocean with David Attenborough is available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu.

Reprioritizing customer retention lets B2B companies better weather economic uncertainty and volatile market conditions — a daunting task when executive leadership asks everyone to deal with the chaos by cutting costs. But cutting costs independently of business strategy — especially strategies that protect and grow revenue from current accounts — can hurt more than help.

Postsale teams come out on top when they optimize costs by pivoting resources and communicating more consistently. They also provide easier access to the tools and information that existing customers use to gain more value from their current investments.

Make A Customer-Led Pivot To Digital Experiences

Forrester’s 2024 Buyer Insights research shows that 81% of business buyers expressed dissatisfaction in at least one area with the provider they chose at the end of a successful purchase. Becoming customer-led is a principal way to avoid this result — and is a pivotal step in any company’s journey to customer obsession. Customer-led organizations boast higher revenue growth, increased employee engagement, and (most importantly!) greater customer retention.

A primary way to become more customer-led is to make postsale experiences more streamlined and self-directed — something that can be done using existing technology, business assets, and people and (if done creatively) without much additional investment. The key today is understanding how your best customers thrive and getting started on ways to help the rest follow their lead.

Focus Digital Experiences On Five Areas To Boost Engagement

By understanding how your best customers excel, top postsale teams can construct digital signposts and way stations that direct others along the right paths to value. Teams that make even the most basic investments in developing a postsale digital experience (DX) can see significant returns, as our Total Economic Impact models predict.

Let Customers Interact With Their Data, Plans, And Team

Yes, we know: Customer data is a mess, and modifying back-end systems is expensive and time-consuming. But making customer data more robust — and getting customers to help manage their profile information — is a first step that B2B companies should commit to that can lend itself to further automation and enhancement with AI down the road. In the meantime, we see customer teams deploy uncomplicated capabilities that:

• Allow customers to access — and modify — joint success plans from a portal, content management hub, or other cloud-based destination.
• Give customers (at minimum read-only) access to account information so they can request specific changes from support agents or CSMs — or (at best) make those changes directly.
• Display benchmark data for progress metrics or achievement milestones (at minimum) — and allow individual accounts to compare their results to peers.
• Show account team contact information, bios, interests, and personal fun facts to build trust and relationships.

Spruce Up Your Online Help And Support Ticketing

Consolidating the access points to your support ticketing system, knowledge-base answers, and contact information (phone numbers, email, chatbot, etc.) in one interface/portal page can pay off in reduced customer frustration and streamlined interactions. You can also:

• Update your list of frequently asked questions and their answers.
• Clean up links to your latest product download pages, license key requests, password reset process, or other common activities.
• Build a nurture campaign that introduces new license holders to key support systems, explains service-level agreements and escalation steps, and handles other pitfalls that new users typically fall into.

Highlight Your Most Used And Most Effective Training

Striking the right balance between messaging and reminding can help (new) customers or users remember how useful your existing online education can be. You don’t need a full learning management system: Take the time to survey or interview customers about which courses or modules they find most useful and promote those. You could also:

• Use customer-friendly language to highlight how customers can access self-serve training and learning materials.
• Create short, YouTube-like videos that demonstrate a key feature or best practice.
• Generate and market a list of “must-do” educational sessions to support onboarding, focusing on the ones that successful customers find valuable.

Encourage Customers To Form A Community

Online community platforms are powerful but can require resources that you might not be ready or willing to commit. Look for creative ways to get your customers to engage, network, and share their experiences, advice, and knowledge. At a minimum:

• Introduce your best customers to each other, ask them to talk about their successes (on a webinar, for example), and capture/share the key insights they share.
• Design a basic community program, communicate its purpose, and market the benefits of participation.
• Promote your best customer stories to the community, making the storyteller a hero.
• Ask advocate customers to share a specific type of best practice and publish the top 10 results.
• Invite customers who “support” the community to participate in exclusive experiences.

Promote Events That Connect Customers With You And Each Other

Market digital and in-person events to your customers and focus on aspects that benefit them. Track attendance, gather feedback, and look for signals that indicate new purchase interest. Analyze these results to make the business case for further investment. You can:

• Offer customer-exclusive experiences during your currently planned events.
• Set up a Slack channel by account (or by cohorts of similar customers by ideal customer profile) to connect account team members with customer contacts and users.
• Start small with an all-digital user conference that leverages your webinar platform to plan and deliver topical, high-demand customer content. If you don’t have a user conference, now is the time to consider (re-)starting one.
• Set up a process for collaboratively soliciting and prioritizing customer-contributed feature requests or new-offering ideas.

Conclusion

These five areas represent practical, straightforward DX changes that any B2B team can implement quickly as postsale teams explore further investment — particularly for using generative and predictive AI to enrich, personalize, and make each aspect of the DX more effective. For example, the use of AI agents can greatly scale and increase customer productivity in many aspects of the DX.

FAQs

Q: What is the primary way to become more customer-led?
A: The primary way to become more customer-led is to make postsale experiences more streamlined and self-directed.
Q: How can B2B companies reduce customer frustration and streamline interactions?
A: By consolidating access points to support ticketing systems, knowledge-base answers, and contact information in one interface/portal page.
Q: What is the benefit of creating a community for customers?
A: The benefit of creating a community for customers is to encourage them to engage, network, and share their experiences, advice, and knowledge.
Q: How can B2B companies promote events that connect customers with each other?
A: By marketing digital and in-person events to customers, focusing on aspects that benefit them, and tracking attendance and feedback.
Q: What is the role of AI in enhancing the digital experience?
A: AI can be used to enrich, personalize, and make each aspect of the DX more effective, such as through the use of AI agents to scale and increase customer productivity.