Tumbling Block

Flying Social: How Virgin America’s First-Class Marketing Fuels Brand Awareness (via Mashable)

For those of you who have flown Virgin America, you know that its interpretation of “coach” is very “uncoach.” The cabin is illuminated with purple lights, the safety video is actually entertaining (and informative), beverage and food service is non-invasive and you can chat with fellow fliers via your personal touchscreen TV. It’s a snazzy airline, but beyond that, it has fully embraced technology and social media, going so far as to name one of its planes a hashtag, the#nerdbird.

Mashable spoke with Abby Lundardini, Virgin America’s director of communications, and Jill Fletcher, the airline’s social media manager, about why the brand is so social, how social has contributed to the company’s success and what innovative social media campaigns made the biggest impression.

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Foursquare & Groupon Hook Up for Real-Time Deals (via Mashable)

Foursquare users in the U.S. and Canada will start to see Groupon’s daily deals in the Explore tab of the application and on Foursquare.com beginning Friday, Mashable has learned.

Groupon has become Foursquare’s sixth and latest daily deals partner. The IPO-primed market leader in its growing industry was notably absent when Foursquare first rolled out daily deals from LivingSocial, Gilt City, AT&T Interactive, BuyWithMe and Zozi earlier this month.

Groupon’s regular daily deals and its newest real-time, location-based Groupon Now offers have gone live for users in the Chicago area. All Foursquare users in the U.S. and Canada can expect to see Groupon deals alongside the deals of Foursquare’s five other partners by Sunday.

Mashable first discovered the active Groupon deals Friday morning. We’ve since confirmed with Foursquare that a partnership with Groupon is in place. Groupon will share revenues with Foursquare, just like the startup’s other deals partners, splitting an undisclosed amount for each deal sold.

The mutually beneficial relationship will help Foursquare replenish its deals stock and net it access to offers from the current mayor in the deals space. Groupon, in turn, will gain added exposure and reach audiences not already subscribed to its email list.

“Foursquare’s goal is to help people connect in the real world, discover new places, and save money through Specials and Deals. We’re excited that Groupon’s daily deals and real-time deals will now be included in our Deals platform,” a company spokesperson said, when reached for comment.

Friday’s release confirms what has long rumored: Groupon and Foursquare have been in talks for some time. Reports have also previously speculated that Groupon is attempting to acquire Foursquare.

Daily Deals Now on Their Logical Mobile Platform: FourSquare

Foursquare’s Explore Tab Now Packed With Targeted Deal Offers (via Mashable)

Foursquare will begin rolling out daily deals from five partners —LivingSocial, Gilt City, AT&T Interactive, BuyWithMe and Zozi — to users of its iPhone, Android and BlackBerry applications in the U.S., UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, starting Tuesday morning.

Foursquare is using check-in histories, time of day and location to target deals to app users — “targeting with social justification,” as the startup calls it.

All deals offered by partners will be imported into the Foursquare application experience. Deals will appear in Foursquare’s apps in real time, as they go live on each partner’s site.

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