Location based content with Foursquare and Metro

The Canadian version of Metro is Canada’s biggest free newspaper. Foursquare is a startup that is being hyped as the Twitter for 2010. Foursquare is a location-based social network that lets players use their mobile phone to “check-in” to places in their city and announce their whereabouts to friends. The two companies have announced an innovative partnership that is the first time Foursquare partners with a news organization.

Metro will add their location-specific editorial content to the Foursquare service. People who choose to follow Metro on Foursquarewill then receive alerts when they’re close to one of those locations. For example, someone close to a restaurant that Metro has reviewed would receive a “tip” about that restaurant and the have ability to link through to the full Metro review on metronews.ca.

“Metro has always offered readers the right information at the right time and place, and Foursquare lets us take that to the next level,” said Jodi Brown, Marketing and Interactive Director for Metro Canada. “We’re now highlighting specific articles at the exact time and place that they’re most useful, which is in some ways a revolutionary idea.”

Location based applications like Foursquare are a great way to tap into information that is relevant and most of all timely. When information is shared on location based applications and devices licensed content will be part of the mix. Images and video should be licensed, or at least tracked to see how photography, video, music and other media are used, by whom and how much. This will provide insight into changing client behaviour and maybe even interesting revenue models for Stock Media.