How many badges have you earned?

No, this is not a question for the Boy or Girl Scout among you. “Earned badges” is lingo adopted by the pioneering users of the suddenly popular Foursquare, a geo-location mobile application that is fundamentally altering the way we explore, shop, eat, connect and socialize.

Foursquare falls somewhere between mobile game, social media meet-up tool and location-based reference tool. Through Foursquare, I have real-time insight into friends’ favorite haunts, can easily find recommendations for nearby restaurants and have my own personal map to the local social scene. But ultimately, my real motivation for using it is the gaming component. By “checking in” on Foursquare regularly I accrue points, win “mayorships” and unlock themed “badges.”

Foursquare and its location-based sisters like Gowalla, Loopt, Brightkite, or ecofriendly Carbonfund.org-supported Causeworld are already changing the habits and brand perceptions of social media savvy mobile phone owners.

Restaurants: Imagine sitting in your favorite restaurant. The manager is alerted that you “checked-in” on Foursquare. She finds you and offers you a free dessert for being a loyal customer. How does this experience change the way you view this business? Suddenly this manager can easily identify regular customers and can reward these individuals. It is a built-in loyalty card.

Grocery Stores/Food: As a consumer, consider walking into a Whole Foods, checking in on Foursquare and seeing that your friend recommended Annie’s Organic Macaroni and Cheese over the macaroni and cheese in the deli. Your friend’s “tip” might have just altered your shopping experience.

Tourism boards: A Ferris Buehler badge already exists in Chicago, now imagine “checking in” on the steps in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and earning a Rocky Balboa badge? Or in Colorado, how about a Rocky Mountain National Park badge? How about Missouri and Kansas teaming up with Foursquare to create a Pony Express Badge?

The possibilities are there for businesses to reach consumers in a relevant and new arena.

Foursquare and its counterparts have not yet hit mass consumer adoption but its million plus users continue to expand. It is a viable tool to consider integrating as part of a holistic green marketing strategy. As businesses and consumers discover its deep potential, "how many and what badges you have?” might take on new meaning for all of us.