Partnership Connects Small Businesses and Customers Through Local-Based Social Gaming

How can a pizza shop get more customers strolling by to come in for a hot slice? By adding QR codes and on location fun to the menu.

Online hyper-local business directory CitySquares is teaming up with SCVNGR to help small businesses engage current customers while improvi their own visibility and branding. By designing fun challenges on SCVNGR, local businesses attract new customers, engage them with a fun, in-store mobile experience using QR code technology and reward them for participating. SCVNGR is part game, part game platform accessed via free iPhone/Android app and played by going places, doing challenges and earning points.  SCVNGR is funded by Google Ventures and Highland Capital Partners. 

"Engaging the millions of local businesses people love is key to helping us build a game layer on top of the world," said SCVNGR's Chief Ninja and founder Seth Priebatsch. "Now they can engage their customers right on their mobile phones with a quick, fun experience and generate a ton of valuable, viral buzz."

"We think this partnership is the perfect opportunity to get people excited about the small businesses in their neighborhood, explore their city and get introduced to SCVNGR's platform," said Ben Saren, CEO of CitySquares. "These personalized challenges get participants more engaged with their local businesses and community. It's a brave new world out there, and businesses are catching on and understanding the value to be had."

CitySquares has hand-picked 60 select small businesses in Boston, New York and San Francisco to participate in this beta program. Each small business has created a quick, fun challenge on SCVNGR. These challenges range from special treats at San Francisco's Bow Wow Meow boutique pet shop to winning a free dessert at Boston's Aquitaine. 

QR codes are gaining momentum daily as the technology advances and new applications are discovered. Now that iPhones and other smartphones are the standard, we are all walking around with barcode scanners in our pockets. Its as though the door to the mysterious world of barcodes has been unlocked for us all, no longer accessible only by store clerks and inventory takers. I'm all about interactivity, but when Priebatsch says, "helping us build a game layer on top of the world," that freaks me out. What would that look like and would we want it? Someone needs to release a QR code that helps us stay in the moment rather than distracting us from it.

To learn more about the program, please visit www.citysquares.com/scvngr.