First UK Foursquare partnership with TV channel
Made Social on 17 February 2011 | View Comments
By Beth Carroll
This morning I was lucky enough to be invited to the launch of a new partnership between Foursquare and History Channel – the first of its kind in the UK.
How does it work?
The premise is simple, when foursquare fans check-in to one of over 600 sites they will now find quirky and interesting historical tips about their location. Badge collectors will be pleased to know that checking-in four times to any of the 600 sites will unlock a limited edition badge.
The campaign currently involves 20 partner sites including The Tower of London, HMS Belfast, Shakespeare’s Globe and The Clink museum. These partner attractions will reward users for checking-in through a number of exclusive special offers that are only available through foursquare.
You can view a full list of the tips and the places you will find them on History Channel’s Foursquare profile.
What are they trying to achieve?
The team at History Channel explained the focus of the campaign is to help Londoners to uncover more and more of their city. For example, when I checked in at the event this morning at Tower of London, I received the tip ‘From 1235 until 1835, the monarch’s personal zoo was kept at the Tower and it included many exotic animals given as presents by other monarchs, including polar bears, leopards and elephants.’ Interesting stuff!
This certainly marks the beginning of new partnership opportunities with Foursquare – it will be interesting to see which brands follow suit.
A handy video
Not sure how Foursquare works? Here’s a handy video they showed at the event this morning:
Some examples
Some more fun tips you might now find on Foursquare:
• Savoy Street – This is the only street in the UK where you drive on the right. The rule dates back to the days of hansom cabs, dropping off their privileged guests at the Savoy Hotel.
• The London Stone – this simple rock on 111 Cannon Street, now lying in the wall of a Chinese bank, was once the most famous landmark in the city. Its origins are lost in legend and myth, but it was considered the city’s symbolic heart.
• The Dove – Situated at 19 Upper Mall in Hammersmith, this cosy riverside pub dates back to the 16th century, and boasts the smallest bar in England – 4 foot 2 inches by 7 foot 10 inches.
• The Thames Whale – In 2006, Britain was captivated by the fate of a 19 foot bottlenose whale that swam up the Thames and became stranded here. Sadly, the whale died and its skeleton is now in the Natural History Museum.
The future?
What’s the future for Foursquare? Will this be a turning point that sets Foursquare apart from Facebook Places? Share your view in the comments box below.
