Anne Howe

BrainTrust Query: Supercharged Checkins

August 9, 2010

FROM RETAILWIRE:
Location-based social networks are the latest fad to hit mobile phones. The concept has mobile phone owners using GPS to "checkin" to establishments, including restaurants and retail stores. What do you think of the potential of "checkins" tied to location-based social networks?      [more...]

I've not used any of the location-based checkin services, because in general I don't believe anyone really cares where anyone else is. But the model of augmenting loyalty programs with points is a shopper-centric value-add that makes sense for those seeking deals. What I'd like to see is the model scaled to provide an additional "reach" element, where a check-in at a retail location provides a benefit for a shopper to pass along a value found in a store to another friend/shopper.

If I have to be subjected to a post that tells me where someone is, why not make an extension option available? If my friend checks in at Dunkin' Donuts (for instance) in the morning, could an offer be uploaded that the visitor could then post, making it available to the first five friends who log in and download it? That kind of program has dual appeal; the retailer gains reach and potentially more traffic, and the shopper gains the deal on a great cup of coffee!