Almost a year ago, Foursquare began rebuilding it’s company by splitting into two apps– Foursquare, for discovery purposes and Swarm, for check-in purposes– and shifting it’s business focus. At the time, the decision left many users confused (and even drove some away, reportedly), but as of today, it is clear what Foursquare aspires to do: corner the market on location-based advertising.

Today, Foursquare announced the launch of Pinpoint, a location-based advertising service that will use geo-location information to target ads to the relevant consumer. While Foursquare plans to use information collected in both of it’s apps, it also plans to target non-Foursquare users. Location-based advertising has been around for some time now, but Foursquare plans to use it’s extensive database of locations– something that could only be built with the help of it’s app users– to pinpoint “the precise places that [advertisers’ audiences go] to in the real world.”

Pinpoint will open up new ways for brands to micro-target the correct consumers. For instance, if a user has checked into Chili’s and Applebee’s, they might soon be targeted by Olive Garden, one of the first brands to adopt Pinpoint. Brands like Samsung, Choice Hotels, Land Rover and Wild Turkey have signed up for the service, as well.

As with all location-based targeting, brands will have to balance being seen as “creepy” with the value they can provide to customers. This balance is a priority especially given the specificity of the locations being shared. Brands might be able to manage this by offering deals directly to the consumers they now know will have the most interest.

What Sparks Our Fire: Exciting new ways for brands to reach their most receptive audiences