17 Feb Will HISTORY Tie Up See Foursquare Hit the UK Mainstream?
Following the success of a similar initiative in New York, TV channel HISTORY today launched a partnership with Foursquare that gives users of the geo-tagging service access to over 600 unique and quirky location tips, discounted deals across London and a brand new HISTORY ♥ London badge (pictured below). It’s the first partnership between Foursquare and a TV channel in the UK and gives the service instant access to millions of HISTORY viewers. So what does this mean for geo-tagging and Foursquare in particular?
For HISTORY, the tie up marks the repositioning of the brand toward a more tech-savvy, brand conscious consumer group. New shows such as Mud Men and the forthcoming The Kennedys appeal to a younger demographic, and HISTORY sees social media as a key method of reaching them. Its strategy is based around accessing groups of people who wouldn’t be traditional HISTORY viewers, and the Foursquare initiative certainly casts the brand in a new light as it utilises a platform that is, arguably, still the domain of early adopters. Within the next six months, however, this may not be the case if other big brands follow HISTORY’s pioneering example.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxQkgp6YlHw]
What is interesting about HISTORY’s approach is that it hasn’t set specific metrics for the project. To me this demonstrates a real understanding of the benefits of social media, targeting as it does brand awareness and positioning rather than meaningless number crunching. On this subject, Davidson said: “As a brand we’re extremely innovative, so it’s a natural step to be involved in new technologies [such as Foursquare]. Part of how we measure the success of the project is therefore simply being the first brand to do this in the UK. It’s a project that will evolve over the next six months.”
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