CNN set off a firestorm of speculation when it reported Friday that Facebook had acquired Gowalla, the location-based check-in mobile app similar to Foursquare.

Facebook declined to comment, but Josh Williams, Gowalla founder and CEO did not deny the deal in an email to AllThingsD on Sunday, writing, “The ink on the deal is not dry, so our holding pattern is that we do not comment on rumours and speculation. I have another email penned that was ready to send you today, assuming you would get this news before the story was officially released. But now it is all over Twitter, so you have likely heard. A longer email will be sent soon.”

Turns out, as Business Insider reports and a Gowalla blog post confirms, that the Gowalla team is indeed joining Facebook — but not the brand itself, which will be killed off in order to supercharge the timeline feature on Facebook, whose own Facebook Places check-in function launched last year but never took off.Continue reading...

How much is that doggy bed in the window? Shopkick knows.

The mobile application, which melds in-store and mobile retail, rewards consumers for just walking in, with further deals for scanning partner brand products at more than 250,000 stores across the U.S. 

Launching a year ago this month (it officially turns one on August 17th), its users have surpassed 6.5 million product scans as 12 new major brand partners sign on: CoverGirl, Disney, General Mills, Levi’s, Libman, Mead Johnson, Meguiar’s, Mr. Clean, Olay, Revlon, Tilex and Trident.Continue reading...

Following a trial run at the South by Southwest digital conference in March, Foursquare and American Express are teaming up to offer discounts across the US to AmEx cardholders. AmEx commented tonight on Twitter: "Amex and Foursquare go national! Sync, explore, save... GET STARTED NOW."

As the New York Times notes, "Foursquare users are accustomed to receiving awards in the form of coupons and digital merit badges. But more substantial deals like those being offered to American Express cardholders may bring Foursquare and other location-based services further into the mainstream."

“In 2010, it was all about the check in,” commented eMarketer analyst Noah Elkin to the Times. “Now, it’s about checking out.”Continue reading...

More than 100,000 people are expected to go barefoot today thanks to TOMS Shoes. The goal of One Day Without Shoes, as the brand tweeted, is "to raise awareness of the impact a pair of shoes can have on a kid's life."

As TOMS gets ready to kick off its own shoes, celebrities endorsing this year's event include Charlize Theron, a host of Canadian musicians, and brands including Google and AOL. Participants are tweeting using the official hashtag, and also checking in via Gowalla.

Global brands respond with relief efforts for Japan.

Adidas kicks off biggest-ever campaign on March 16th.

Amazon tops survey of brand value perception.

BMW relies on X-3 and 6 Series for profit growth.

BYD may prove a terrible bet for Warren Buffett.

Disney tries to learn from failure of Mars Needs Moms. 

Facebook takes aim at Groupon, which also faces competition from Gowalla.Continue reading...

Foursquare this week reported staggering growth in 2010. With 6 million registered users, it grew 3,400% last year for some 381,576,305 check-ins. 

The location-based brand's largest check-in stunt to date was the Jon Stewart-Stephen Colbert "Rally To Restore Sanity" in Washington, which received 30,525 check-ins.

Also notable last year: 50,000 Americans checking in on Election Day from 23,500 polling places, and its first outer space check-in, from the International Space Station, on October 22.

The places generating the biggest number of check-ins in 2010 related to food — in one creative marketing tie-in, 224 people named Wendy checked into Wendy's restaurants — followed by offices, shops, gyms and concert venues.Continue reading...

Social media scavenging is now yielding ever bigger rewards for brands. Witness “Quest for the Keys,” which marks Buick’s most innovative social marketing exercise to date.

The mobile-centric scavenger hunt rolls out Monday, hiding keys in Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Minneapolis, New York and Austin, with clues for fans on the brand's Facebook page and @buick Twitter feed over the next three weeks, culminating in a day of actual scavenger hunting and a final draw in November.

Each city holds a key with a $2,000 cash reward – and the final three winners can choose a Verano, Regal, LaCrosse or Enclave.Continue reading...

The Brightest: 15 Geniuses Who Give Us Hope [Esquire] — including Tom Kuntz, director of Old Spice's hit commercials

Unilever’s Tricks For Gathering, Applying Consumer Insight [Forbes]

The Marketing Magic Behind Harry Potter [Reuters]

Can the Chinese Become Big Spenders? [NYT Magazine]

The Future of Advertising [Fast Company]

Don Draper's Revenge [Bloomberg Businessweek]

Top 50 Women in World Business [Financial Times]

Top 48 ads that would never be allowed today [OWNI.eu]

The 10 Most Successful Crowd-Funded Projects From Kickstarter

Change Generation profile: Josh Williams, Co-founder and CEO, Gowalla [Fast Company]

The Origin of Symbols: Fun Facts, Art & Photography [Dark Roasted Blend]

How P&G Quietly Shed 8,000 Jobs [Town Talk]

India's Crossover Shopper Comes of Age [Nielsen]