Using apps like Foursquare now makes that a mobile phone rapidly becomes the new loyalty card: companies like Pepsico en Heineken are using the location-based social networking site too. PepsiCo are teaming up with Foursquare to reinvent the way grocery store shoppers think about location-based rewards and checkins. As part of the deal, Safeway has integrated Foursquare into its VonsClub loyalty program for a three-month pilot program. End of last year, Pepsico in the US teamed up with Foursquare in an attempt to reinvent grocery store loyalty programmes. The crux of Pepsico’s Foursquare program is that consumers can link their Foursquare accounts to unlock PepsiCo rewards every time they shop. Shoppers who link their accounts will earn instant Foursquare rewards on PepsiCo products – in the form of coupons printed at the register – at the time of sale. Rewards are also personalized to the user and tied to the types of badges a Foursquare user has already unlocked.

Since last month, Dutch consumers can now earn points for discounts in He ineken’s Dutch e-shop. Foursquare users can link their account to their Heineken.nl profile in order to earn 10 points with each check in at a participating bar, cafe or club that sells Heineken. The points can be redeemed for things like merchandise, tickets to sold-out concerts and VIP tickets to parties.So if in today’s reality brand relationships are being built by providing meaningful branded experiences, these two examples are here to stay. Using the location based service; Heineken’s initiative even takes customer experiences to the next level in this initiative by encouraging conversations between friends: those Foursquare users who encourage five of their friends to sign up as well on Heineken.nl get a 50 point bonus and those with a Heineken e-card receive double points. And this matters: positive recommendations generate referral value and new users of the loyalty programme as a result.

The intro video is pretty cool and activates consumers to start their M&M hunt in the city of Toronto. Tips are posted on Facebook and Twitter to guide the gamers through the streets. Each day (until 4/12/2010) there are three chances to find ‘Red’.

By following the game on Foursquare, players gain further clues as the Red M&M checks in to locations. Extra tips are unlocked each time the player covers 30km via Street View. Back on Toronto terra firma, hints are being left via QR codes on posters or barcodes on packs of the sweetMore tips can be found in the Toronto streets. There are hidden tips on posters and M&M packages, consumers can scan them via the Stickybits App. Once they have found Red, players are encouraged to keep quiet about their find and log the details by clicking a button – each success giving them extra entries into a sweepstake to win a red Smart car. Fifteen runners up will receive an iPod, cinema tickets and free M&Ms. Looks like a pretty fun game. Maybe there is a missed opportunity to give participants some free M&M’s during the game. Once they’ve found a first clue, some M&M’s may motivate them to continue the game. Just wondering now how many people will participate and click their way to Toronto. What are your thoughts?

Rick Wion, head of Social Media at McDonald’s, believes strongly in organizing small pilot programs to see what works and what doesn’t.

This is how it happened: McDonald’s contacted Foursquare to sponsor their Foursquare day on April 16. The deal was very simple: McDonald’s would offer 100 giftcards to Foursquare users who checked into a McDonald’s restaurant. Rather than offer coupons to every person who checked into a McDonald’s that day, Wion decided to choose random winners. While not guaranteed a prize, many users checked into McDonald’s for the chance to win the $5 and $10 giftcards. Based on this campaign, McDonald’s saw an increase of 33% in check-ins from the day prior.

Another nice benefit: their number of followers and fans increased with 600.000!

It’s a new app, called the Nike Boom app for iPhone. It works like this: they created a great music program linked to your workout plans. Depending on the sports you’re doing, they select the music. Depending on the phase you are in (warming up, going all the way) they select the music.

Another cool thing: they asked their sport celebrities to record motivating messages which they mix between the music. And of course, they link the sport activities to Facebook so your friends get live updates about your sport achievements and they can send live supporting messages if they want. Great application if you ask me, it adds even more to their Nike+ program.

I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that. The discussion should not be about technology or platforms. The discussion should be about people! Your brand needs to start a conversation with people, it’s not about being present on a technological platform.

Try to find the influencers of your brand or your brand category. Work together with them, involve them in your plans and…HUG them, love them and they will love you back. Let them choose the channels and the technology they wish to use. They are much better and faster in it than you will ever be.

When you have these discussions in your team: change the topic and talk about people, brand fans and influencers.