I didn’t go to Harvard University (or “Hahvahd” as we call it locally), but last week I got a a Harvard education on Foursquare.
Foursquare, which is accessible from smartphones and other mobile devices, enables students and visitors to explore the campus and surrounding neighborhoods while sharing information about their favorite places.
In addition to creating an up-to-date online rating guide of stores, restaurants, businesses, and other venues throughout Harvard Square, foursquare users can also employ the application as a game, in which they earn points, and ultimately acquire coveted foursquare “badges.” Harvard is the first university to use foursquare to help students explore their campus and surrounding places of interest. Users who have visited a predetermined number of sites on the campus will be awarded the Harvard Yard badge on their foursquare profiles.
Harvard has led the way in a lot of areas, now it’s leading in how cause marketers can use Foursquare. Here’s how I plan to make good use of my education.
- My hospital is located in Boston’s historic South End, which is chock full of stores, restaurants, shops and others spots worthy of Foursquare check-in.
- After visiting a predetermined number of sites in the South End Foursquare users will unlock a South End badge on their profile.
Here’s what’s different.
- I plan to recruit a corporate sponsor for my badge. A biz in or around the South End would be great – b.good, Hampton Inn and Target come to mind.
- When users unlock their South End badge they would get a message: Congratulations! You just unlocked the South End Badge! Target [for example] has made a donation on your behalf to the Preventive Food Pantry at Boston Medical Center.
The program could incorporate additional elements, some of which I’ve discussed in other posts. Target could host a pinup program to promote their involvement and raise more money. South End stores could offer shoppers a reward when they unlock their badge.
All I need now to make my dream a reality is for someone to create my badge and work with Foursquare to set things up. That’s where I could use some help. Foursquare worked with Harvard to create their badge. I’d like them to do the same for me. How ’bout it Dens?
The great thing about my badge is that it holds the promise of revenue. If Foursquare can get causes coming up with creative ways to get businesses to sponsor badges, it’s a great step in the right direction for their business model.
Harvard is a great place to get an education. But if Foursquare is ready to graduate and make some money, they might want to try cause marketing.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by changefeed, Sean Powell. Sean Powell said: Harvard Schools Cause Marketers on Foursquare http://bit.ly/6KzwR8 [...]
@joewaters has a great item up about how #Harvard is using @foursquare in ways that you may not have expected. http://bit.ly/4qeCSH
[...] competition breaks out to be the Mayor of your establishment. Don’t believe me, read this article or this one for how foursquare is being used by other [...]
[...] more from Joe on using Foursquare and CauseWorld on [...]
I don't know how much progress you've made on achieving this goal, but you may be pleased to learn that there is a precedent. In a Mashable article on How Non-Profits and Activists Can Leverage Location-Based Services, Melissa Jun Rowley wrote about a related example in New York City:
"Last month, Foursquare teamed up with New York Tech Gives Back and Pepsi to raise funds for Campinteractive, a non-profit organization that provides inner city youth with technical training and outdoor recreational programs. From December 6 to 13, Pepsi donated $0.04 to Campinteractive for every check in point added to the Foursquare leaderboard."
Thanks for commenting, Joe. I saw that and I think it's a great example of things to come. However, it is a littler different from what I want to achieve in that I want to tie in a badge.
We're still talking to potential sponsors about the program. It's been challenging because I work on the local level and a lot of the local companies I work with are just coming around to social media, much less Foursquare. But I'm optimistic!
[...] right sidebar! Here’s a good sampling of my posts on the subject. Also, check out my post on Foursquare and Harvard and how the latter can school cause marketers on how to raise money with location-based social [...]
@davecriswell @leslie found this: http://bit.ly/4qeCSH Why does it always have to be Harvard?!?
[...] to your cause every time a user checks-in to their store or restaurant. Another option is to tie-in a badge that users can earn after checking-in several [...]
[...] encourage your students to find new places, set up a scavenger hunt for your class that involves checking in at multiple locations around the [...]