Entertainment check-in app GetGlue has cemented their existing partnership with HBO even further by today offering in-store discounts to fans of the series True Blood. Anybody using GetGlue to check-in their viewing of True Blood gets 10% right off the bat, but anyone who does so regularly and earns the Fan badge gets 15% off True Blood gear in the HBO store, while the real gung-ho viewers who get the Superfan badge earn 20% off. The elite Guru (GetGlue’s equivalent of a Mayor) even gets a $60 gift card.
This is a particularly interesting change of pace for GetGlue’s badge system, and badge systems for all mobile check-in apps, really. Instead of just being superficial tokens that are good only for bragging rights, GetGlue is beginning a transition to turning badges into something meaningful. Sure, Foursquare enables shop owners to provide discounts to mayors, but those deals are entirely on a case-by-case basis, limited by location, and often only for mayors.
By partnering with HBO, GetGlue is offering something to a much broader audience and provide rewards regardless of location and check-in frequency. Right now it’s just for True Blood fans, but the types of rewards to be provided in the future could be really interesting considering GetGlue allows you to share all sorts of entertainment you’re enjoying – books, music, video games, wines, even conversation topics. I’m a little worried that significant, monetary real-word rewords might attract users to illegitimately checking in, and turning the whole thing into a rat race, but as far as HBO is concerned, that’s just more free advertising, even if just a few of those check-ins are being pushed out to Twitter and/or Facebook.
Personally, I love GetGlue and use it regularly in conjunction with Foursquare to provide status updates to Twitter and Facebook with a nice dash of contextual information.
GetGlue is available on iPhone and Android at the links below, but still nothing on BlackBerry yet. Bah.
– Download GetGlue for Android (Free) [Market Link]
– Download GetGlue for iPhone (Free) [iTunes Link]