Companies have been playing around with mobile advertising campaigns for awhile now. Walgreens is the latest company to attempt to cash in on consumer smartphone obsessions. The pharmacy company is rewarding consumers who check in using location-based social media sites (more below). This tactic is working well for Walgreens. The company has reported that many smartphone users are now checking into various Walgreens locations in order to gather useful coupons. Seemingly, this makes a great deal of sense: consumers want coupons that don’t have to be clipped from a flier and companies like Walgreens want consumer data, everyone wins in this scenario.

In a way, the new Walgreens mobile ad campaign is exactly what some consumers are looking for. Sure, Walgreens is collecting user information every time someone checks in, but the company is also providing useful coupons that many people will find helpful. Since the only way to gain these exclusive coupons is to check-in using Foursquare, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, the coupons that Walgreens are offering also have an element of exclusivity (a marketing tactic that’s been proven to work time and again).

How to Get Those Walgreens Coupons

Whenever you find yourself in a Walgreens store, make sure to head to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Foursquare and tell Walgreens that you are inside of a store. Walgreens will then note your location and send you small notices while you are shopping. For example, you might see a note to purchase some Halls cough drops at a discounted price, using the special Walgreens coupon offered through your smartphone.

Walgreens is using a location-based data information gathering system called LocalResponse. LocalResponse is also used by other big name brands including McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and various others. The idea here is to collect consumer information and then reward consumers by providing coupons. Walgreens can then use this data to narrow down its target market. As the world becomes more and more mobile, advertisers are finding lots of unique ways to cash in on the smartphone craze.

Is This Check-In Service Safe?

If you’re wondering whether or not you should let Walgreens gather your information, consider whether or not you need those coupons. The fact of the matter is that all companies (big or small) hire marketers to gather target market (or consumer) details. The main difference between age old target market research and today’s market research is that companies can now gather information a lot faster than they could before. Either way though, companies will find out who shops at what stores – things are just a lot more precise now.

So, if you want some exclusive coupons and you’re stopping at Walgreens anyway, why not check in to get those deals? Walgreens is just the first in a long line of companies that will be offering consumers coupons and other shopping incentives. You can test out the service right now (while visiting your local Walgreens, of course – you can’t use this service unless you are inside of a store) by using your smartphone to check into Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter, or Instagram.