In addition to hosting quality branded campaigns, Blue Phoenix Media also owns and operates The Academic Network, which presents students with alternative education solutions.
2010 has been about the widespread success of geotargeted marketing intiatives. Foursquare celebrated some critical milestones while Twitter and Facebook implemented geotracking features into their Status Update features. And while the ROI on this kind of technology is a bit fuzzy, many smart establishments found one way to capitalize on its appeal to consumers. But perhaps the most interesting use of geomarketing is this latest wrinkle: Its use to facilitate the transfer of charitable proceeds from consumers to the schools of their choice via a new iPhone app.
The best part of edRover, the new app, is that it doesn’t siphon money directly from consumers in order to fund the schools, but rather, allows the consumer to identify area businesses that have opted into edRover’s program–meaning when consumers patronize those establishments, a portion of what they spend there, will trickle back down to the respective school.
The process is not without its flaws, however. Businesses looking to offer promotions the same evening as special school events end up frustrating customers with long lines and poor service–as they end up short-staffed.
However, this is a great way for local businesses angling to affect positive change within their communities by making use of social media technology that many are still learning to use on a trial and error basis.
