Campus Highlight: Bucket lists, campus tours, free parking, and more – USC brings foursquare to students, #4sqOnCampus

Nov 10th

Last year, down in sunny southern California, USC started using foursquare to help everyone explore campus better, leaving insider tips and offering Specials

One year, 18,000 followers, and 135,000 check-ins later, they’ve decided to step things up. Departments across the university have collaborated together to launch a badge, create a campus tour, and offer even more Tips and Specials, all as part of the effort to bring the campus community closer together.

foursquare on campus!
To start off, USC claimed 425 venues on campus and created tips filled with campus history fun facts and useful information . They also used foursquare to publicize major university events, like commencement, the LA Times Festival of Books at USC, the inauguration of C.L. Max Nikias as the 11th president of USC, and President Obama’s visit to campus. Students started checking in, using foursquare to find out what was happening at school and to share their activities on campus with their friends.

They also created cool programs to get people exploring campus with foursquare, like a “bucket list” for seniors that included memorable campus spots to visit before graduation. Several departments, including USC Transportation, Athletics, Libraries, Alumni Association, and the USC Bookstore worked together to create the cross-promotional campaign. Students who checked into places on the list unlocked Specials like sporting event tickets, USC travel mugs and t-shirts, bookstore discounts, and even free parking during exam week!

Finally, this August they launched the official USC badge – the True Trojan, which drove thousands more to follow USC on foursquare post kick-off.

Their newest campaign
This year, USC is focusing on a new Campus Tour. No need to wait for a campus guide; visitors and students can hit all the noteworthy places at USC, complete with official Tips, trivia, and photos. There’s even a Special that offers free USC gear when they’re done – anyone who checks into any five locations on the tour receives USC swag, like a USC iPhone or iPad case.