The top executive of Booyah, creator of the location-based application MyTown, discussed the opportunities of location-based services and mobile social gaming in an exclusive interview.

Booyah representatives took the stage last week at Google?s I/O conference as the first partner of the newly announced Places Web Service feature of the Google Maps application programming interface (API). Blending location-based services and social gaming features, Booyah?s MyTown is the first and largest consumer channel to currently utilize the Places Web Service.

Mobile Marketer?s Dan Butcher interviewed Keith Lee, cofounder/CEO of Booyah, Palo Alto, CA, in the wake of the company getting a new round of funding from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers? iFund. Here is what he had to say:

How will the new funding be invested?
The funding will be used to increase our headcount, expand our current product offerings, move internationally and create new franchises.

The most important thing to us is to find the best talent that cares about the product. It isn't about simply increasing our size, but instead finding those who are the best and are passionate about the product.

We're also excited to bring new layers of information on top of the check-in. Check-ins are only part of the equation, and we want to close the loop?from checking-in to validation.

We?re looking beyond the check-in?six-to-twelve months from now, no one?s going to own the check-in. It?s myopic to think that we?re battling over this check-in space.

What?s going to be most important is how you create an experience that people are loyal to.

What is Booyah?s growth strategy going forward?
Booyah's growth strategy is to continue to bring real-world interactive entertainment to the masses.

We want to expand real-world gaming to the rest of the world, in both mobile and Web-focused products.

Do you sell your own inventory, partner with mobile ad networks or both?
Booyah does both methods of integrating ads into MyTown.

We've found that our use of Google ads in MyTown have been successful and plan to continue down this path.

We're also pleased with the tremendous success we've achieved with branded ads with our partners such as H&M and the Travel Channel.

What is the current state of location-based mobile advertising? Have you noticed increased brand spend? What is its potential going forward?
The current state of location-based mobile advertising is in its infancy. Our pipeline growth has been very healthy, and the potential is enormous.

Our partnerships with respected brands such as H&M and the Travel Channel only reinforce this notion.

With H&M, we were able to drive more than 800,000 in-store check-ins, making them the No. 1 search term in MyTown, which is a testament to the value proposition we are able to offer.

In addition to the increased exposure H&M experienced during their campaign, H&M has seen steady and sustained check-ins that are far above their pre-campaign average.

What is Booyah?s strategy behind using Google?s Places Web Service?
We believe that the Places Web Service integration into MyTown will provide our users with a richer, faster and more relevant experience.

Search results will be more accurate as they will be pulled from Google Maps, and the load times will see a boost in speed as well.

We're excited to be the first and leading partner in this initiative.