Foursquare makes its way to Northfield retailers

foursquare foursquare at the GBM

I’ve been experimenting with Foursquare for the past couple of months. The app on my Android phone (also available on the iPhone, Blackberry, and Palm) uses GPS to show a list of nearby places. I can then check in to see if the business is offering a foursquare special, alert selected friends (txt msg, Twitter, etc) to my location, earn points, and acquire ‘badges’ for repeat check-ins. 

The person who has checked in the most at a given location becomes the ‘Mayor’ of that location. I’m currently the Mayor of the Goodbye Blue Monday but just lost my mayorship to someone named ‘Dan’ at the HideAway. Nationwide, retailers are starting to offer Mayor Specials. Starbucks launched a nationwide Mayors Special last week.

Last night was the first time I experienced a foursquare special from a Northfield-area retailer: the Contented Cow has a Foursquare special going this Memorial Day weekend. (No, I didn’t set this up, even though the Cow has been a client of mine for years.)

What other retailers are using Foursquare in the Northfield area?

9 Comments

  1. Griff Wigley said:

    In Monday’s Strib biz section: Friends, ads find you on Foursquare
     

    With consumers "checking in" via Foursquare at Twin Cities businesses such as the Solera restaurant in Minneapolis and Barrio Tequila Bar in St. Paul, they become accessible to both friends and advertisers. Foursquare sends to their cell phones a list of nearby businesses, including other restaurants or bars that are offering specials on food or drinks.

    Each business has a page on Foursquare that includes a list of Foursquare users who have checked-in there and consumer reviews of the businesses. So far it’s free advertising for bars, restaurants and the like, although some suspect the rapidly growing Foursquare will charge them fees at some point.

    June 15, 2010
  2. Anthony Pierre said:

    no one uses foursquare here yet griff

    June 15, 2010
  3. Griff Wigley said:

    Tony, I’ve gotten 2-for-1 tap beers at the Cow twice already using Foursquare.

    June 17, 2010
  4. Anthony Pierre said:

    oh great. are you the mayor? how many visits?

    June 17, 2010
  5. Anthony Pierre said:

    UR NOT EVEN MAYOR OF THE COW!!!

    June 17, 2010
  6. Griff Wigley said:

    I know but Ruth pretty much camps there every day so I’ve got no chance. I am the Mayor of Bridge Square, tho. No deals there yet. 😉

    June 17, 2010
  7. Griff Wigley said:

    Today’s Strib: Mobile is the night – Social media are changing the nightlife experience at local bars, restaurants and clubs.

    Every night, hundreds if not thousands of Twin Cities diners, concertgoers, sports fans and club kids are using smart phones to punch in their whereabouts on such social media networks as Foursquare and Twitter. These night owls are using their iPhones and Evos as a different way to see and be seen.

    Not only have these mobile networks changed the way people go out, but they’re changing the way bars, restaurants and music venues market to consumers, with digital come-ons that include food and drink specials, instant coupons and VIP perks.

    July 9, 2010
  8. Griff Wigley said:

    I was explaining Foursquare to a colleague yesterday and he said: “Cool. A way to give serendipity a boost.”

    Exactly.

    December 2, 2010

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