MapQuest Vibe: A new way to explore

The newest offering from the 15-year veteran of online maps, directions and local discovery introduces MapQuest Vibe. The new product uses its blended social-algorithmic rankings to generate real-time rankings of neighborhoods, hotspots and points-of-interest – helping consumers become a local, anywhere.

Now in beta, mqvibe.com helps people cut through the ratings clutter by providing actual rankings based on key criteria within a richer neighborhood framework.  Presenting neighborhood data in a structure that’s enhanced by geographic context is critical to accelerating exploration of what’s around you.  MapQuest believes we have a unique platform to give people contextually relevant information that helps them make decisions. MapQuest has mined more than  10 years of search logs, from its users.  mqVibe provides a unique neighborhood perspective through rankings of restaurants, shopping, services and cultural attractions, among other significant insights.   

MapQuest Vibe can be reached via mqVibe.com or by clicking the “neighborhoods” button on MapQuest.com.  Some 54 percent of MapQuest’s 6.6 million daily inquiries are for destinations within 25 miles of a person’s point of origin.**  MapQuest reaches one in five Internet users** and, with the majority searching for local information, it serves as a perfect platform for a deep integration of the new mqVibe product. The data becomes more robust, providing more accurate rankings and helping people make better, individualized decisions.

“Our users have long been using MapQuest to discover what’s in and around their area, but with more than 18 million domestic points of interest, we felt there was a need to dive deeper into what we could deliver to our users,” said Christian Dwyer, general manager and senior vice president, MapQuest.  “MapQuest Vibe takes that enormous pool of information and helps people make better decisions on what appeals to them using the social heart and wisdom of the crowds.”

*Internal data

**comScore, September 2011

Keywords: local, advertising, mapquest, product launch