Platforms like Gowalla, Foursquare, Booyah, Loopt, and Whrrl, or their French counterpart Dismoiou, that mix location, real-time and social characteristics focus less on conversations and more on creating a new and valuable location-based products. The key challenge for brands is to find ways to use these services to, not only engage customers, but also enhance their overall experience.

Big brands have been using these applications to drive customers to stores by offering free items or discounts as a reward for multiple check-ins. Although Oscar de la Renta (Foursquare), Cynthia Rowley (Foursquare) and Betsey Johnson (Facebook Places) have run similar campaigns, this type of mass-market move does not add value to customer perceptions of a luxury brand.

So the question arises, how can luxury brands ‘check-in?’ Here we suggest 5 possible ways:

1. Build brand personality

Luxury brands and the designers at their helm are often considered to be culture experts and taste makers. Offering recommendations, tips and to-do lists, or a curated list of favorite cafes, restaurants, or bars near a specific location can convey this unique personality in an engaging way.

Marc Jacobs was one of the first luxury fashion brands to create a branded experience on Foursquare, offering users an opportunity to explore cities with recommendations from the brand, unlock a Marc Jacobs badge, and read tips and reviews from other users.

Perhaps we could also experience Stefano Gabbana’s Milan or Paris according to Chanel?

2. Promote special events

Brands can announce special events at their bricks-and-mortar locations. Louis Vuitton promoted its store launch in London recently by incorporating branded tips on what to do in London created by LV staff – in line with the brand’s City Guides sold in LV boutiques and online. For example,

“Stroll London. Shop at Louis Vuitton. Visit new exhibitions and try on new shoes. Stop for a cappuccino break. Talk about the next fashion show with your friends and learn about London’s cultural activities. It’s all waiting for you when you befriend the new Louis Vuitton Maison.”

Similarly, brands can create a buzz for sales events and drive additional customers in-store during these periods.

3. Promote accessible product lines:

Most luxury brands offer entry price point lines enabling customers to experience the brand without having to spend a fortune.

The Jimmy Choo @CatchAChoo campaign generated buzz for the launch of a new line of sneakers. The brand organized a real-time scavenger hunt around London via Foursquare. Followers could see where the sneakers had checked-in and if they managed to get to the venue in time they would win the Choos. Sales of sneakers in-store reportedly increased by 33%.

A similar geo-location tactic could be used to promote Hermes’ J’Aime Mon Carré campaign in a fun and engaging way.

4. Extend the reach of your service:

The Four Seasons luxury hotel brand took their concierge service beyond the four walls of the hotel with the launch of a service called “Best of California”. In partnership with Gowalla the hotel offers their guests concierge recommendations while traveling around the state, while also allowing them to earn hotel credits.

5. Integrate check-ins with customer loyalty programs:

Add another dimension to your loyalty programs by activating a check-in each time a purchase is made. This can allow you to offer customers extra rewards for geo-location check-ins that are communicated to their social graph, creating the connection between customers’ social media behavior and their in-store behavior.

A key value offered by geo-location applications is a new opportunity to build relationships and better understand customers. A brand can learn a lot about its customers by reading tips, listening to feedback, and identifying where they like to go. If a user must check into a location manually, they’re either doing so for convenience (e.g. to locate friends or offers nearby) or as self-expression. The latter provides an interesting opportunity for a brand to engage, increase preference and build a loyal high-quality relationship.
minzdrav-irkutsk
brandnetizen
creative-interventions
infinitzwebdesign
osrfoundation
musicbar
blueletterbible
habooz
arcsystemworks
easymail7
free-minigames
plusmen
openquery
casbuenosaires
damyang
dailybot
studentprivacymatters
bob157
mfitzp
realtec
smartbuilding
cotocoto
blackpods
danasiapacific
elon168
158psj
hichiso
nuestrofolleto
eweb
waanders
reismaatjes
fashionmakeschange
rebaltica
foodshouldtastegood
udi
hoadon
sintez
drinsomniacs
cityofbristol
savetheharbor
taro-baka
delsu
burokreas
ubiq
testutah
softartisans
thewebsitebusiness
mlp-mclp
outvoices
keirknight
foreignword
nwaf
hi-vision
idealclover
okir
mwqe
pafbet
wykiwyl
signals
vevocart
beauty-angels
codemec
ryansg
wiley
revide
unionprofesional
hntbcc
server-drome
spottedpeccary
webandroll
prepunelattha
sequinsandsales
dvrc-or
resourcetrade
apolline-patterns
qmb806
expressoemprego
manuscrit
hcgywl
primalecco
nursinglicensure
gave
naturalbeekeepingtrust
panalytic
la411
claro
prvt
df011
puertoricodaytrips
carachicago
dorl
developpement-personnel-club
denghuowenhua
hnbmkg
quizpluz
cigarflavors
mylifenews
geopi
platypusdigital
adaptivetrainingfoundation
menaentrepreneur
polycomp
greenenintsed
msic
digipayinc
viridos
massviolence
bellgraf
pharmfrancaise
olivo
yoppie
escorteskisehir
hbstudio
www-177288
betaeurolockfed
xtendbarre
faktor-n
pjsindia
universum-group
nitle
artfaircalendar
touge-movie
movietome
hesitepas
macanidn
papainoel
heart
simai
hydro
actualidadecommerce
bob81
cinema-xa
uklpg
theoreminc
80s80s
visitsalou
americanairlines
repair-care
diversityinresearch
rybners
nuento
666485a
ogldev
wpserbia
osocio
auslistings
himawari
vpnresellers
fdss
ourmilitary
stockrush
d-s-u
greensql
smart-design
myplanapp
ccrane
fun88cash
rakuten-bank
tjniigata
zingermansbakehouse
yyq0
emergencyemail
6moo
webdan
jerryscript
conseil-juridique-gratuit
naturheilkunde-kompakt
baobabmarketing
egovernment-wettbewerb
bellegladeimpactwindows
wmotech
lanrenmb
konstellation
447448a
carnegiehero
olipinterns
lawterritory
defterdarligi
klagenfurt-airport
koelnarchitektur
bsbcc
turkonfed
correcttoes
7cdntq7
janetgregory
ecshopviet
comicpalooza
phontron
marketingvision
bryllupsmagi
trusofttechnology
vmcvmc
siffredirocco
enmoretheatre
impactmakers
clicklaboratory
exxactcorp
tassal
ratgeber-guide-24
drk-bremen
goodgriefnetwork
nagoya-with-official
zackderose
autonomic
open-book
museudapessoa
tobb
vietsolutions
thefuturekept
tesi
brandbeast
f-service
franckmuller-japan
i4design
elektro-gorenjska
wadsam
chicken
ladymag
bestgames
internetbreitling
opencart
marte
kdc
cryptoarbitrage