Friday, August 3, 2012


Tonight at dinner, I was excited to find an example of a restaurant utilizing mobile media to promote their business.  The restaurant printed on their dinner napkins “Check in at Foc on Facebook and get your free Foc shot.”  I thought this was a clever way to promote their restaurant.  It touched on the idea of consumer product promotion that was mentioned on our trip to MediaCom. I love seeing the abstract concepts become concrete in the real world!  I wonder how effective “checking in” at places is at promoting businesses.  I don’t think I personally have ever been swayed to visit a place simply because a Facebook friend had previously “checked in” there. 

3 comments:

  1. I don't ever really "check in" to places, but many of my friends do, either via Facebook or Twitter or Foursquare. For social media users, it's obviously a way to show people where you've been and what you're doing, and for those who like to explore new places and review them it's a great way to let your "followers" know about the cool restaurants/bars/attractions you've been to. Personally, it would probably take a personal testimony to convince me to go somewhere, and I agree with you when you say you haven't visited places because someone has checked in there. But perhaps other Facebook users view these check-ins as recommendations to certain places and they can make quick decisions about new bars and eateries they're going to try. From an advertising standpoint, I do think it's beneficial for companies to utilize social media to promote their services; the more people that check-in at their places, the more popular they seem. I have noticed an increase in companies using check-ins, and I imagine it's only been a positive marketing tool for them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've seen this in a couple places (most recently, one of the airports, I believe Jacksonville ). I think it is a great way to get your costumers "involved" more. By checking in on Facebook, everyone that is your friend can see that, and it is essentially free advertising. Get the people buying your product to do it for you. Brilliant.

    I just don't think it is that abstract. I've been noticing more and more QR Codes on signs, menus, etc. that gets you digital access to "exclusive" content. I just think it is the future of advertising.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The idea of “checking in” on Facebook is genius in my opinion. Its free, its easy, and it promotes a type of social interaction. I also find it to be very successful, and something I like to use when deciding where I want to go. This is a phenomenon that is not just relevant with restaurants, but also with stores, bars, and venues, just to name a few. I use this application of social networking a lot. For example, for friends of mine who have a fashion style that I generally like, I am always tempted, more so then not, to check out any store they may check into on Facebook. Similarly, if someone who has similar interests to me “checks into” reading an article, I am more likely to read the article in comparison to others that have no social connection to me.

    ReplyDelete