Google, Apple, Facebook and Twitter have dominated the digital debate for the last two years. But a new name being touted around is Foursquare, “a location-based mobile platform that makes cities easier to use and more interesting to explore”. 

In a nutshell, Foursquare users can share their location with friends by “checking in” via a smartphone app or SMS. Aside from finding friends, the service has the potential to be used for entertainment and marketing based activities. For example, users can be guided to venues, or offered incentives to visit retailers. There’s also PR potential, something demonstrated in a neat Australian campaign that was put together by Sydney-based agency One Green Bean for vodka brand 42 Below. 

The campaign centred on musician Shaggy, who was brought to Australia by One Green Bean to celebrate his 42nd birthday (creating a direct link with the 42 Below brand). While there, Shaggy took part in two-day game of hide and seek, checking in on Foursquare, and offering clues on Twitter and Facebook as to his whereabouts. Each time he arrived in a new place, the first 15 fans to wish him “Happy 42 Below” won tickets to his party. 

One Green Bean says that 42 Below’s target audience tends to be early adopters and online natives who crave new experiences and discovery, so it made sense to capitalise on impactful channels of influence like Foursquare to engage with them. 

It’s not the first time One Green Bean has devised location-based social media campaigns. The agency was also behind the iSpyLevis campaign, which saw jeans being given away to people who tracked down where the brand was tweeting from. 

Sorrell: "Location... the holy grail for marketers"

Location-based services are clearly going to be a big part of the future of marketing (WPP CEO Martin Sorrell recently referred to them as the ‘holy grail’ for marketers). But it remains to be seen whether FourSquare comes out on top. As of February 2011, Foursquare had 6.5 million users worldwide. But there are others encroaching on the market, notably Facebook – which has a location-based service called Places. Not to be overlooked either are newer services seeking to enter the space.

One is SCVNGR, a location-based mobile platform which uses gaming mechanics to hook in consumers. Reckoned to have around 1 million users so far, the theory behind SCVNGR is that people can be encouraged to perform mundane tasks by adding incentive-based game mechanics with a social networking flavour. SCVNGR’s belief is that the platform could have benefits for individuals, public bodies and commercial enterprises.