Brands Takeover Foursquare

Foursquare, founded in 2007, is a geo-location social media mobile platform that “makes cities easier to use and more interesting to explore.”  Users, “check in” via a smartphone app or SMS, to share their current location with friends while collecting points and virtual badges.

This is a great social media marketing strategy for restaurant and bar owners, movie theaters, and anywhere else people congregate to utilize a company’s products and services.  A “game-like” platform, users compete to unlock “badges.”  The most coveted Foursquare badge is the “Mayor,” a designation given to someone who frequents a location the most.  Company’s can also create special badges that equate to discounts and freebies to non-mayors who frequent a particular establishment.  It’s a win/win for both parties – the business and the patron.

Initially, Foursquare was only used for places like restaurants and bars to encourage patronage and build loyalty. A GREAT marketing strategy.  However, a new and quite interesting trend is emerging.  Savvy social media marketers are finding creative ways to promote brands without a physical location like: consumer packaged goods, TV channels, universities, manufacturers, and upcoming movie releases.  They are doing this by creating Foursquare Pages.

Foursquare Pages are homepages, where brands can recommend venues and activities that align with their products or services.  Take a look at a few brands that caught my attention…

Paula Deen uses her Foursquare Page to tell patrons where here products are being carried, charities and non-profit organizations she supports, and events she has planned.

The Doors utilize their Foursquare Page to: notify fans where Door’s memorabilia is located, identify places that sparked one of their hit songs, and places where the band played.  The Doors live on with Foursquare check ins!

Loyola University New Orleans uses their Foursquare Page to:  assist visitors to the campus and new students by providing the names and locations of local establishments they may want to visit.  In addition, they identify all of the buildings on campus and include a unique description or statistic about each one.

Gucci uses their Foursquare Page to: share favorite global hotspots and insider tips from Frida Giannini, Gucci’s creative director, in an exclusive series of city guides.  While living vicariously through Frida, you can “check in” to hotels, restaurants, and of course Gucci stores around the world.

With over 8 million users worldwide and adding approximately 35,000 new users each day, Foursquare now enables brands to connect with their market – even without a physical location.  As social media continues to leverage mobile marketing strategies, Foursquare tool to build awareness and grow fans.

Contact Project Socialize to learn how you can leverage Foursquare when marketing your venue or brand.  Is anyone “checking in” with your company?