Building an Army of Hyper-Local, Mobile-Connected Advocates - Advertising Age - DigitalNext

Building an Army of Hyper-Local, Mobile-Connected Advocates

Or, Why Marketers Should Pay Attention to Foursquare

Posted by Allison Mooney on Adage.com 08.05.09 @ 03:00 PM 

 

Allison Mooney

No, this isn't "the year for location" in mobile. That phrase has become industry cliche by now. But it's hard to ignore the hype that one location-based service called Foursquare is getting in some circles -- and no advertiser should. The NYC-based startup has built a sticky platform, an avid fan base and, quite possibly, the next-generation platform for proximity marketing.

Foursquare bills itself as 50% friend finder, 30% social city guide, 20% nightlife game. Basically, you tell it where you are (a bar, a park, a museum, whatever) by "checking in" (via iPhone app, SMS or mobile site). The service then tells your network of friends, recommends things to do in the area, and awards you points and badges for your activity. It also lets you recommend things other people should do and track what you have done yourself.

Part of the appeal of the service is how it links the digital and "real" worlds -- truly putting the "social" in "social networking." After its big unveiling at SXSW, the service has garnered a passionate and growing base of early adopters (full disclosure: I'm an alpha tester and "super user" myself). The other weekend, some avid Foursquarers in New York even organized a bar crawl, called Town Holler, for people who'd achieved "mayor" status at a certain venue.
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