Who ever would have predicted a time when humanity would be crowded around computer screens, reading about which one of their friends had checked into Pizza Hut? Alas, these are the times we live in. For some unknown reason, we want to know if our neighbor has visited Krispy Kreme or if our boss has checked into Chipotle yet again this week. Facebook Places did the seemingly impossible task of making the site even more powerful (and mind-numbing). Go ahead and snark, but geolocation is undeniably fun and many brands have recently taken our love of Facebook Places to new heights.
Coca-Cola has been using Facebook Places to reach growing foreign markets which have embraced social media marketing like Israel. Coke has used social media in Israel to throw parties and announce new projects. So when it came to launching a campaign to encourage Israelis to recycle, the soda magnet turned to Facebook Places. Coca-Cola first added 10,000 recycle bin locations from around Israel to the Facebook Places system. Next, an initiative was announced designed to get people inspired to recycle. Coke promised to crown the person who checked in the most “The Recycling King.” The result? People get to do good for the environment, Coke looks like a company that cares and one lucky person is a recycling — and social media — rock star.
Nike, Southwest Airlines and the Gap have all successfully launched Facebook Places campaigns over the last year. But Facebook Places isn’t just for the big guys. Lately, we’ve seen small theater companies and art galleries give away free stuff to encourage folks to check in. Why? Because those pesky little check-ins, along with the business’ name, appear in newsfeeds of Facebook friends.
So, dear readers, lemme ask you this: Do you check in on Facebook Places? Furthermore, have you dabbled at a camping using Facebook places? Ch-ch-ch-check yourself in the comments section below!
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