Sunday, January 22, 2012

The ingredients for a successful Foursquare campaign


Alright, I don't have the actual result numbers to verify that this duet between Sam Adams and Buffalo Wild Wings was a success, but really, how could it not be? While some brands openly beg people to check in, like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter without giving them a single good reason why they should, this effort hits all the main points you need to make a Foursquare campaign (or any social media promotion) a hit.

Right reward
How many times have you seen social media promotions for lame rewards like, "Check in on Foursquare every Wednesday this month to get a special access code to view an exclusive online video preview of some marginal crap we're gonna try to sell you?" This reward is beer. Beer is something people want. And free beer is something that people will do crazy things to get, like help friends move heavy appliances from third story apartment to third story apartment (God, I'm glad I'm not in college anymore). If you want your Foursquare campaign to work, you need to give the people something they actually want.

Right place
I'm sure this campaign was promoted elsewhere, but the touch point that touched me (no, not like that) was the handy dandy table topper pictured above. I'm at Buffalo Wild Wings drinking beer. If I come back on a certain night at a certain time, I could have that beer for free? Sold! If you're trying to inspire loyalty + repeat sales and make a slow shift busier, who better to help you out than the people who are already visiting your restaurant?

Right partner
It's beer at a sports bar. If I need to explain why that one works, you might want to go back to marketing 101...or just get out more.

Right time
Because Foursquare checkins include the element of time, you can not only influence WHAT people do, but WHEN they do it. I'm guessing Buffalo Wild Wings did this one to help fill their restaurants during a traditionally slow shift.

Sense of urgency
Perhaps just as smart as limiting which shifts the Foursquare campaign applies to, Buffalo Wild Wings has made another smart move here- limiting the free beer to the first 20 people to check in at the desired time. That makes the campaign easy to budget for (max= cost of 20 beers) and really encourages people to compete to be one of the first in the door. If you can come in anytime after 9pm on a Friday and get your free beer, what's the rush? If you have to be one of the first 20 in the door...well...just think about all those black Friday shopping videos you see on the news.

So, what about you? Have you encountered any Foursquare campaigns compelling enough you participated in them? Or even created one yourself? Let the world know in the comments below.