Foursquare Users Now Can Earn a Political Badge,

the C-SPAN Badge

 

Check in At Five D.C. and Political Places, Earn Yourself a C-SPAN Badge

 

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 13, 2011) – Politics lovers who use foursquare, the geosocial mobile app, now can start earning a new badge, the C-SPAN badge.

 

 

By checking in at five of many pre-designated Washington, D.C. -- locations where C-SPAN typically has or sends cameras to cover events, or otherwise are closely connected to national politics -- foursquare users will unlock the C-SPAN badge.  Checking in at key political sites across the country -- such as in Iowa and New Hampshire, locations with early presidential campaign activities which C-SPAN covers-- also will count toward earning the C-SPAN badge.

 

Hint for users eager to earn the badge: Many of these locations already have educational C-SPAN tips placed on foursquare. 

 

 C-SPAN currently uses foursquare in two primary ways:

·         C-SPAN provides the public with educational tips about locations which are prominent in national politics, policy, the government, and history, primarily in Washington, D.C.-based sites.

 

• The C-SPAN Digital Bus checks-in on foursquare from communities it visits across the country.

Over the coming political season, C-SPAN will add tips to locations related to C-SPAN’s Campaign 2012 and Road to the White House presidential campaign coverage.  C-SPAN also will add tips in coordination with its 2011 Local Content Vehicles tour of southeastern cities, visiting various literary and historic sites.

 

C-SPAN coordinates its foursquare efforts with JESS3, a creative agency that facilitated C-SPAN’s introduction to foursquare.  JESS3 designed C-SPAN’s foursquare badge and C-SPAN’s foursquare page: http://foursquare.com/cspan.

"We're excited to expand our partnership with C-SPAN with the launch of this badge," says Eric Friedman, foursquare Director of Business Development. "We hope that our continued work with C-SPAN will increase civic engagement among our users and encourage them to learn more about America's political processes and institutions."

“Want to impress your foursquare friends and add a political badge to your collection?” asks C-SPAN co-president Rob Kennedy.  “Then the C-SPAN badge is for you. C-SPAN has always been about connecting our audience with the political landscape and now foursquare allows us to do that in new ways. Just like we’ve been connecting to our audience through Twitter, Facebook, an iPhone app, and embeddable video through the online C-SPAN Video Library, foursquare and C-SPAN will help you get Washington your way.”  

 

About foursquare: Foursquare is a location-based mobile platform that makes cities easier to use and more interesting to explore. By “checking in” via a mobile app or mobile web, users share their location with friends while collecting points and virtual badges. Foursquare guides real-world experiences by allowing users to bookmark information about venues that they want to visit and surfacing relevant suggestions about nearby venues. Merchants and brands leverage the foursquare platform by utilizing a wide set of tools to obtain, engage, and retain customers and audiences. For more information, visit http://foursquare.com.

 

 

About JESS3: JESS3 is a creative agency that specializes in social media and data visualization. JESS3 has been a key creative, interactive and social media partner for C-SPAN since launching the Webby-finalist Debate Hubs and Convention Hubs (DNC and RNC) during the 2008 presidential election. The successful redesign of the C-SPAN Video Library and custom video player in 2009 and 2010 followed soon thereafter. In addition to C-SPAN, JESS3 provides digital and design solutions to a number of top media, technology and government organizations including The Economist, Twitter, Intel, Nike and NASA.  Visit jess3.com.

 

 

About C-SPAN:

Created by the cable TV industry and now in over 100 million TV households, C-SPAN programs three public affairs television networks in both SD and HD; C- SPAN Radio, heard in Washington DC and nationwide via XM Satellite Radio; and a video- rich website which hosts the C-SPAN Video Library. Visit http://www.c-span.org/.

 

 

 

 

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