Short Pump Town Center First to Implement Facebook Deals Rewards Program

As location-based services like Facebook Places and Foursquare increase in popularity, the businesses leveraging them to both attract and reward customers is growing as well. Short Pump Town Center is the first shopping mall in the nation to implement the Facebook Places platform to attract customers with rewards for “checking in.” Mallfinder Network introduced the new program […]

November 23, 2010; 11:09 AM • by Trevor Dickerson

As location-based services like Facebook Places and Foursquare increase in popularity, the businesses leveraging them to both attract and reward customers is growing as well. Short Pump Town Center is the first shopping mall in the nation to implement the Facebook Places platform to attract customers with rewards for “checking in.”

Mallfinder Network introduced the new program at the mall this week. The new Deals feature allows shoppers to “check in” to the mall via Facebook on their mobile smartphone when they are on the premises and receive local offers. Short Pump’s introductory Deals promotion rewards the first 50 check-ins with a $10 gift card. The effect is essentially viral marketing, as the check-in appears visible to the shopper’s friends in their Facebook activity feed.

“Facebook Deals provides an easy way for us to entice shoppers to the Center and deliver special offers from Short Pump Town Center and our retailers.” said Misty Parsons, Short Pump’s Director of Marketing, “The viral nature of these check-ins helps spread the word to other Facebook members. Since claiming our location on Facebook we’ve received over 100 check-ins.”

Individual stores, restaurants and other tenants at the mall lean heavily toward the use of Foursquare, where users can check in to receive discounts and other specials. Unlike Facebook Places, which is not competition-based, the Foursquare user who checks in the most in a two month period becomes that venue’s “mayor.” Recent Foursquare deals we found included 15% off a future purchase for checking into American Eagle Outfitters and a free entree up to $13 in value for checking in at TGI Friday’s, among others.

Facebook is going after the major players in retail and recently launched the Deals location-based service in partnership with about 20 major brand partners, including Starbucks, REI, JCPenney, Gap and McDonald’s.

“Facebook Deals is the game-changer for these geo-location services,” stated Lawrence Phipps, Mallfinder’s Senior Vice President of Marketing. “Facebook’s partnership with big brands and broad mobile reach will drive awareness of this previously niche check-in feature, making it a mainstream activity over this year’s holiday season.”

On Black Friday, Facebook fans who check in will be rewarded with a $5 gift card.

November 23, 2010 11:09 AM 0