Coca-Cola Launches Marketing Campaign With SCVNGR Location-Based Gaming Service

Coca-Cola plans to launch a location-based marketing campaign based on SCVNGR’s smartphone gaming application. The campaign, which is part of the company’s Secret Formula Challenges marketing program will be rolled out in 10 malls in the United States on Black Friday. By doing certain tasks, consumers taking part in the campaign can earn points that they can use to redeem prizes. While the campaign is part of the growing trend of brands partnering with providers of location-based services, Coca-Cola’s partnership with SCVNGR might have been driven in part by rival Pepsi’s alliance with Foursquare. SCVNGR founder Seth Priebatsch said his company puts emphasis on the gaming side of location-based services, saying "You use Foursquare, Gowalla and Twitter. You do not use SCVNGR -- you play it."