Gowalla on Geo-Social Marketing [SXSWi Video]

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Austin, Texas -- Gowalla business development director Andy Ellwood came to the geo-social firm about a year ago after working in high-end sales in the aviation industry. Since then, he’s led a team that’s trying to make the platform’s monetization strategy take flight, as Google and Facebook zero in on the marketing medium and Foursquare continues to get a lot of attention.

Among other marketing opportunities on Gowalla, local businesses can offer discounts when consumers check in. Designed to give the geo-social experience more color, such venues can also work with the Austin, TX-based company to offer rewards via custom badges.

Ellwood spoke with ClickZ on Tuesday at South By Southwest Interactive about a variety of things, including the local tech community, how his marketing platform has changed, and what ad agencies should say to brand clients when discussing geo-social.