ePrize hits Social Media Atlanta

Posted by Melissa Summers on Monday, November 8, 2010

-          Tony Vecchiato, Director, Product Innovation, ePrize

Social Media Atlanta kicks off today and ePrize is bringing its latest location-based technology to the event.  Ben Ryder, Account Manager of Business Development will be at the show all week to demonstrate firsthand how brands can utilize location-based technologies to interact with their consumers.

Attendees of the show will be able to visit the campaign via their smartphone using Foursquare APIs at up to 3 conference venues a day (Make sure to search #SMATL on Twitter for the promotion link!).  Once they've checked in, they are entered for a chance to win some fantastic prizes:

§  A MacBook Air

§  iPod Nano’s

§  Starbucks Gift Cards

I had a chance to sit down with Ben Ryder and also Anny Woo, Senior Innovation Manager from ePrize to ask them about the campaign and to describe how the location-based technology works.

What marketing objectives does the particular application solve?

"This application solves the objective of 'how do I get consumers to take action and drive them in store or to a specific location'," states Ryder.  "By incenting consumers with a sweepstakes entry or instant win play, brands can use this traffic driver to get consumers off the couch and into a desired retail location or event."

What technology is being utilized for this app?

"We wanted to create a user-friendly experience for marketers and decided to build this promotion in a mobile optimized browser rather than as an app," states Woo.  "The consumer, in this case a marketer, would navigate to the mobile site, see a list of venues (sorted by closest location) and check into a venue to be entered into the promotion.

In order to create this campaign, we used a number of different technologies:

• First, we need to know where the consumer is located.  To determine the location, we relied on the mobile browsers.  Essentially, the browser asks the device where the user is located and the device determines that information from the built-in GPS on the phone.

• Second, we need to register the user.  In order to do this, we have integrated with Foursquare using their APIs.  We can integrate with a variety of location-based services from Gowalla, to Foursquare and now with Facebook recent announcement, with Facebook Places.  With the users' permission, we can access their contact information (so we’ll know where to send a prize!).     

• Next, awarding entries happens using ePrize's proprietary APIs to transmit and record the entry into our database.  Our systems allow us to configure the promotion so that we don’t over-award entries.  Additionally, we have protections built in to prevent fraud. 

• Finally, we utilize both Facebook and Twitter to allow consumers to virally share the campaign with their friends."

How can other marketers apply this?  What are other uses of location-based technologies?

Ryder states, "Other marketers can use this to quickly activate consumers at event.  Think of a sporting event or concert where consumers can check-in at the event.  The winners can even be announced right at the event."

"An example," states Woo, "could be a sporting goods store."  She adds, "runners are fanatic about their shoes and the beating that those shoes take.  A sporting goods retailer may have a simple app that tracks all the places that a runner has been to, suggest different routes close by favored by other runners, and all the miles they have logged with their shoes.  Those runners who have logged the most miles, at faster times, with the same shoes appear on a continuously updating leaderboard.  Bragging rights are optional."

Woo continues, "Another example could be a consumer packaged goods company.  You typically don’t associate consumer-packaged goods with location-based tactics but there are instances where they can be used.  For example, a brand may be associated with some cause, such as providing clean water to hard-hit areas around the world.  They may decide to give away a clean gallon of water with every purchase of a case of water made.  The consumer making such a purchase may instantaneously see on a map where that gallon of water may have been given away.  Knowing that your purchase helped someone in trouble is gratifying.  Knowing the specifics, that it was distributed in Haiti after an earthquake creates an even greater connection and appreciation for the brand."

Thanks to Ben Ryder and Anny Woo for showing how location-based technologies can really help marketers drive consumer traffic.  I'd like to hear from you.  What compelling ways have you utilized location-based services in your campaign? For further information on Social Media Atlanta, visit http://socialmediaatlanta.org/