22 examples: how Foursquare is used by European businesses

Lately I see a rise in questions on how to use a tool like Foursquare for marketing purposes. Someone in the member-only Linkedin group of the Chartered Institute of Marketing asked the question:

“Has anyone found a way of using FourSquare for meaningful marketing purposes yet? I am persevering in the interests of research and am now Mayor of several places - but what for?!”

On the 26^th July AdAge Digital writes: Forrester: Why Most Marketers Should Forgo Foursquare  Forrester itself concluded:

·         Geolocation users: Small but influential

·         Fragmented Landscape

·         LBSNs are important for some marketers

Earlier this year I attended Social Media Marketing Conference 2010 in London and Location Based Social networking tools were mentioned as one of the three upcoming trends. I looked into Foursquare to find out how it is used by European businesses (see list of companies and examples further below).

Businesses use Foursquare to reward customer loyalty and create brand awareness

Based on the examples it can be concluded that the promotions are especially popular in the hospitality industry and that most of these promotions include a free drink for the mayor. Other examples use the number of check ins as a promotion. With both types of promotions businesses reward the loyalty of their customers and use Foursquare as kind of mobile loyalty card. 

Promotions around special events such as the opening of Louis Vuitton Maison in London or the Samsung 3D Event in Amsterdam focus probably more on awareness around the brand and the special event.

Unfortunately the results do not tell how successful a promotion is for the brand or store. Umbro had 100 check ins with a Manchester United game. Although Umbro had higher expectations, it says that will launch other activities with Foursquare. The Selexyz bookstore has been quoted by the Dutch Newspaper ‘De Volkskrant’. The company stated that it is a good way of micromarketing to a small group of influential users and will continue the promotions.

For the smaller retailer Foursquare may offer an additional way to attract new customers and to get more insight in the people that visit a store.

Foursquare case studie/ examples for Brands, Shops and Retail:

1.     Bookstores of Selexyz, The Netherlands:

Foursquare users receive free reading tips written by other users. All Foursquare users that leave a tip and check in 10 times receive a free bestseller of their choice. People can redeem their book through Twitter @selexyz.

Results: Since its launch at 16^th April nine stores together received: 1853 check ins by 799 people. The most check ins are done in the larger cities: Rotterdam 494, Amsterdam 356, Utrecht 331 and Den Haag 230.

2.     Louis Vuitton United Kingdom:

Louis Vuitton teamed up with Foursquare. People that check in three times receive a special designed LV badge. Louis Vuitton have 13391 friends on Foursquare. Read more

3.     Umbro United Kingdom:

Umbro launched an experiment with Manchester United during a certain match. People that checked in could win a T-shirt.

Results: More than 100 people checked in and received a ‘swarm’- badge.

4.     Samsung The Netherlands:

Samsung held a 3D event in Amsterdam. People that checked in at Foursquare or the Dutch equivalent feest.je (translation: little party) could win a Samsung 3D LED Television. Foursquare: 73 check ins by 40 people.

Feest.je: 71 check ins

5.     G-Star Raw Store PC Hooft, The Netherlands:

This denim brand at a well known Dutch shopping street is offering the mayor a VIP fitting room.

Results: 43 check ins by 27 people.

6.     Westfield Stratford United Kingdom:

To promote the area in Stratford people that check in at venues in the area receive a free dinner at a pop-up version of the restaurant Bistrotheque.

Results: Unknown.

Foursquare Business to Business case study

7.     Hub Culture Pavilion:

A check in at this venue gives a one hour complimentary boardroom usage – worth £70. 

Results: 219 check ins by 68 people and 135 friends.

Foursquare case study in Media:

8.     Financial Times worldwide:

This newspaper teamed up with coffee shops at universities. Foursquare users could receive free access to the paper.

Results: unknown.

Foursquare case study/ examples in Restaurant, Bar and Hospitality:

9.     Cafe St Oberholz, Germany:

Offers the mayor a free coffee.

Results: 1384 check ins by 507 people.

10.  Rosa’s Soho, United Kingdom:

This eatery offers a free plate of prawn crackers with the first check in.

Results: 32 people checked in all together 65 times.

11.  Zebrano, United Kingdom:

Anyone checking in at this bar receives 50% off on the bill.

Results:In total 266 check ins by 126 people

12.  Breakfast in America, France:

The promotion of a free coffee for the mayor resulted in 252 check ins by 146 people.

13.  Burger King, The Netherlands:

This Burger King Restaurant is offering after the 10^th check in a free Whopper.

Results: 125 check in by 54 people

14.  ME Barcelona Hotel, Spain:

The foursquare user receives with a check in a free cocktail with dinner.

Results: 61 check ins by 38 people.

15.  Hummus Bros, United Kingdom:

This Greek restaurant promotes its different venues with a 2-1 meal, only for the mayor. Results:Hummus Bros Wardour street received 352 check ins by 200 people. The venue, near New Oxford Street, received 141 check ins by 68 people.

16.  Niederlassung, Germany:

This bar offers the mayor of a free beer.

Results: In total 147 people checked in 546 times all together.

17.  Bou Tea, United Kingdom:

The mayor can count on a free drink and a free pastry in the morning.

Results: Bou tea received 230 check ins by 42 people.

18.  The breakfast Club, United Kingdom:

This venue offers the mayor 20% off.

Results: In total 220 users were good for 311 check ins

19.  Hotel Condado Spain:

The hotel is offering a free breakfast or an upgrade to a superior room when a user checks in.

Results: 21 Check ins by 16 people

20.  The Village, United Kingdom:

The mayor has free admission with five people to this night club.

Results: 174 check ins by 79 people.

The last two are the much discussed and successful UK campaigns of Domino’s Pizza and Jimmy Choo.

The Twitter Saint, the Narcissist and 10 other types of twitter users

‘Thanks for following me! Check out www....’ I was really impressed by the user. She clearly understood the word ‘social’. I enthusiastically sent a direct message with a question about her presentation I attended earlier that day. I never received an answer.
It was the first auto-reply I received through Twitter. At the time I was unaware that I was dealing with an automatic reply. Nowadays I consider the auto-replies as one of the less favourite emails in the inbox.


Twitter users in boxes

The good thing is it made me set up this informal list of twitter user types.

Twitter user type description

• The saint: Uses twitter as how it was meant: a micro blog. The saint applies most of the time the etiquette. Look at the Chris Brogan’s concise etiquette guide for further information.
• The narcissist: ‘It is ‘me’ time on twitter. I don’t have to talk to you. I am way too interesting for you.' This user drops some subjects and doesn’t interact. They don’t retweet or show any form of interaction except of course the auto-reply.
• The collector: ‘Linkedin doesn’t show more than 500 connections. Don’t worry I found a new item to collect: followers.’
• The ghost: ‘I follow you and as soon as you follow me, I unfollow you. Don’t think I was ever there?’
• The PR agent: ‘I solely tweet the news of somebody else.’
• The counterfeiter: Does do the same as PR, but with different objectives.
• The ‘Do what you tell me’: ‘The consultant told me that it was good to have on other link to get more visitors at my website.’
• The Tweet & # promotion team: ‘I tweet. You retweet me. He reweets that you retweeted me. Or let’s # and send our followers to another tool to show the # conversation.’
• The Stock market addict: Shortens its links solely to be able to track the numbers of clicks. ‘I need to satisfy my brains with growing numbers.’
• The Fatalist: ‘I tweet to say I tweet, but I don’t understand it. A stranger reads the one sentence non-issues of another stranger. It is destined to die out within two years.’
• The Wannabe: At a party. To person A: ‘Oh, yes I have a twitter account. I am totally in to tweets.’ To person B: ‘Yes I agree, it is just a trend without any meaning. I have a twitter account just to know why I don’t like it.’
• In the old days: ‘In the old days you would sent people that attended your party ‘A thank you note.’ I do the same with my followers. It is just showing you have proper manners.’

What type of user are you? Or can you come up with other types of twitter users?

As a user of different twitter accounts, I fit in more types. Earlier in this email I already referred to Chris Brogan’s blog. It is a good guide (or read his book social media 101) to find out what people find acceptable and annoying. The highlight of the guide: Be yourself!

80/20 and 90/10

A few weeks ago I had a meeting with a lot of marketing peers. I always like to meet up with peers to learn and review. This meeting was actually horrible: monotone and fatigue presenters. They had good ideas, nice concepts and beautiful designs, but it was if these marketers couldn't emphasise with it and lost there passion in what they do. No "This is it!!! You are going to like it and everybody else too." No, unfortunately it went on without any passion until the last presenter. I ask myself: Is this me? Are these the peers I relate to? How could we end up here? I felt afwul although I knew, a 100%, this was not me.   

And then, today, Hugh MacLeod's  gapingvoid cartoon #43 - '90%' March 18, 2010  ended up in my inbox: "90% of corporate life is feigning interest". It let you think about how many people at work are really interested in what they do. Hugh even suggest that you maybe should earn less for a job that you gives you more or brings you nearer to the 90% meaning in your everyday life.

And that is maybe exactly what was going on with the marketers I met a few weeks ago. They were doing there job exactly without feeling the passion and having real interest: "90% feigning interest".
It leaves me to conclude that Hugh McLeod rewrote today the 80/20 rule ( McKinsey) into the 90/10 rule:

If you only have 10% interest in what you do, 90% chance you will not reach your targetgroup.