Foursquare has finally pulled its socks up and realised that its real potential lies in brand partnerships. Building on an existing agreement with Bravo TV in the US (which allows users to visit places from the channel’s programmes and collect special badges), Foursquare has now added restaurant review service Zagat, Warner Bros entertainment and another TV channel – HBO – to the mix. In the UK, Domino’s and Debenhams have also stepped up to the plate.

While Foursquare’s mobile and location-gaming aspects add a sprinkle of gold dust, it’s the ‘free stuff from brands’ that complete the holy trinity to make this a truly rewarding experience for the consumer. Cynical as it may sound; people love getting something for nothing.

You can add Zagat’s restaurant tips to your to-do list and win a foodie badge, Warner Bros are doing some publicity with Foursquare over an upcoming film called Valentine’s Day that encourages you to visit certain romantic spots in various American cities (then go see the film). And finally, the HBO deal will apparently encourage users to recreate the lives of glamourous youngsters from various shows by picking up ‘nightlife’ and ‘cocktails’ badges as they check into specific bars or clubs.

In the UK, the partnerships are much more product-focused (perhaps reflecting the differences in uptake of Foursquare, which in the US is more lifestyle-orientated and users like to show friends where they’ve been). A tie-up with Domino’s Pizza means that the most frequent visitor to each of its stores (aka ‘mayor’) will be given a free pizza once a week, while visitors to Debenham’s Oxford Street shop can claim a free coffee on a Friday by checking in.

The location-based one-upmanship is fine, and has taken off like wildfire in the US. But this alone isn’t enough. It simply gives Foursquare the gold medal for getting there first, but doesn’t mean that the platform will have the longevity required to live for longer than the trend.

Communicators and marketers alike have been predicting that the location/mobile tie-up will become increasingly relevant for brands in terms of reaching out to consumers over the next year. It’s now all about making people’s lives easier while they’re out and about. When you also consider that GPS-enabled smartphones are becoming the norm, Foursquare has real potential to grow into something more than a fad. And for brands, learning from the successes and failures of other company’s use of the gaming platform could prove to be very fruitful indeed.