Sports Authority: Foursquare And Loopt Tests Show 'Promise'

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The Sports Authority evidently has liked the results of its $10 discount offer for Foursquare mayors enough to test a potentially bigger loss-leader on Loopt.

The Englewood, CO-based retailer today launched a Loopt Star program (an iPhone-only app) where geo-social users who check in to an NFL, MLB, or NBA stadium/arena will receive a $10 electronic gift card for any purchase. In addition, if they check in at one of Sports Authority's 463 chain stores, they'll get $10 off for purchases that exceed $50.

Clay Cowan, VP of e-commerce for Sports Authority, wouldn't give metric results from the brand's ongoing Foursquare campaign, which began in May. But since the pair of Loopt offers entail the minimum threshold of a single check-in, they suggest Sports Authority likes how the Foursquare mayors-only initiative has been performing enough to open the valve further.

Cowan wasn't willing to go that far. While saying the geo-social space "has promise," he said the best way to interpret the new Loopt play is that his company wants to continue testing offers and platforms.

"We are very analytic in our approach to marketing," Cowan explained. "And these programs allow us to test various offers and approaches at a very granular level. So I can test a certain market with a certain offer. And the rapid [data] turnaround allows us to optimize our portfolio of marketing programs accordingly."

Sam Altman, CEO of the Mountain View, CA-based Loopt, commented on the retailer's strong geo-social play in a prepared release: "Extending the deal past the walls of its own store, Sports Authority is casting a wide net for interactions with existing or potential customers."

Meanwhile, The Sports Authority wasn't the only new partner Loopt announced today. New York City Broadway musical production "Rock of Ages" is offering Loopt Star members a 25 percent discount on a single ticket price per check-in. The check-ins need to be recorded at the show's home, Brooks Atkinson Theatre, and involve a value-add kicker: a free song download from the musical's soundtrack.