Three years ago, the real age of location-based services began. This month marks the anniversary of the launch of Foursquare, a service that became a hot topic at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Conference. Founded by Dennis Crowley and Naveen Selvadurai, Foursquare has played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape for emerging location-themed startups.
The Origins of Foursquare
Before Foursquare, Crowley co-founded a service called Dodgeball in 2000, which aimed to be a location-based social network for mobile devices. Google acquired Dodgeball in 2005 but eventually shut it down in favor of Google Latitude. Frustrated with his experience at Google, Crowley teamed up with Selvadurai to create Foursquare, which debuted at SXSW in March 2009 and quickly gained traction.
As Foursquare gained popularity, numerous competitors emerged, including Whrrl, Rally, Brightkite, Check.In, Loopt, and Gowalla. However, most of these services faded away, with Gowalla being the most notable competitor that struggled to keep up.
The true test of Foursquare’s dominance came at SXSW 2011, where it faced Gowalla in a battle for public opinion. Ultimately, Foursquare emerged victorious, leading to Gowalla’s decline and eventual acquisition by Facebook.
What Made Foursquare Popular?
Foursquare’s appeal lay in its unique features that encouraged user engagement:
- Badges: Early users collected badges for individual accomplishments, keeping them engaged even without friends on the platform.
- Mayorships: Users competed to become the “mayor” of venues, allowing businesses to establish loyalty programs.
- Social Competition: As users built their social networks, competing for points and leaderboard positions became a new focus.
In 2010, major companies like Yahoo!, Facebook, and Microsoft expressed interest in acquiring Foursquare for a reported $140 million, but Crowley and his team declined the offers. Instead, they focused on monetizing the platform by allowing businesses to claim venues and offer specials based on check-ins.
By 2010, Foursquare reported over 1 million check-ins per week and had around 70 employees in New York City and San Francisco. The platform attracted attention from large organizations, partnering with brands like Starbucks, Applebee’s, Bravo TV, The White House, and NASA.
Innovations and Growth
Foursquare continued to innovate, introducing features like the “Explore” option, which allowed users to search for venues by category or specific needs. The integration of NFC support in their Android app enabled users to share lists of favorite places by simply bumping phones together.
In a significant move, Foursquare announced it would transition from Google Maps to OpenStreetMap, enhancing its mapping capabilities. This shift, along with a $50 million stock purchase by Spark Capital, indicated strong investor confidence in Foursquare’s future.
As Foursquare continues to evolve, it remains a valuable tool for merchants and travelers alike. The platform’s ability to adapt and innovate has solidified its place in the location-based marketing landscape.
Conclusion
Foursquare’s journey over the past three years has been nothing short of remarkable. With its unique approach to location-based services and a commitment to innovation, Foursquare has positioned
About the Author:
Ken Yeung
Editor-in-Chief of Bub.blicio.us and an accomplished interactive producer in the San Francisco/Silicon Valley area interested in all things tech and marketing. Whether it’s gadgets, startups, or related issues, he’s eager to learn about it. From attending local and national conferences to appearing at events, parties, and other meetups, Ken is interested in sharing what he sees. Oh, and he’s an accomplished photographer too, having been commissioned by Mashable, TechCrunch, TechSet, SXSW, BlogWorld, and many more.
Visit Ken’s page at http://www.thelettertwo.com