While Starbucks is updating its Cup Magic app for an augmented reality spin to Valentine's Day in the West, in China it's partnering with Jiepang, a social check-in service, for last-minute Valentine’s dates via a mobile app (see above) and in-store postcards.

Any check-in (in select parts of China) will earn a blue or pink Valentine’s badge which garners two free cups of coffee by purchasing a Starbuck’s reward card. A handful of lucky winners will be eligible for one of 520 Nokia N9 phones, while everybody gets a shot at a coffee date.

A whopping $17.6 billion in Valentine’s Day spending is projected for this year, with NRF’s 2012 Valentine’s Day survey by BIGinsight estimating that 62.2% of online shoppers plan to spend on loved ones (including pets) as follows:Continue reading...

It may not be a Louis Vuitton bag, but a Louis Vuitton badge is becoming a hot commodity.

To get a Louis Vuitton badge on Foursquare and unlock savings, one has to first follow the company on Foursquare and then visit three different physical locations of the store.

This kind of scavenger-hunt marketing seems to have worked for the company in its past forays using Foursquare in the United States and the United Kingdom, since it is now experimenting with the concept in the largest market in the world: China.Continue reading...