SCVNGR in Bellingham
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Transcript of SCVNGR in Bellingham
Bellingham SCVNGR Project
SCVNGR in Bellingham
An entrepreneurial college project
Bellingham, WA June 4th, 2011
Bellingham SCVNGR Project
University Experience Going to college was the best decision I’ve ever made, it exposed me to new ideas in an environment that nurtured learning and growth. I certainly needed this experience: prior to it, I was immature and lacking in many of the skills necessary to succeed in life. This academic environment provided me with a foundation of knowledge upon which I can build the rest of my life. A major in psychology gave me exactly what I wanted - the ability and tools to study and understand people and how we think, behave, and interact with one another. However, in addition to my passion for psychology, I’m also passionate about business and technology, and these passions lacked a place in my psychology major. Fortunately, I found outside sources that could provide me with experience in these fields, even while I was taking classes.
Bellingham SCVNGR Project
Business and Tech Downtown Bellingham Partnership My first taste of dealing with businesses on a more personal level. This partnership knew all the local businesses and their owners, and due to the tight-knit community, business was personal. We put on events that enriched the community and gave local businesses a chance to shine. I worked on their sponsorship packages and created contracts for our event sponsors. What I learned: - How to manage business relationships - How to plan events - How to present options to elicit the desired response
BIG Idea Lab The local entrepreneur hangout spot. Idea riffs, lean startup sessions, speakers, and more. Have a BIG idea? Submit it here and maybe you’ll find some financial backing. I worked with
entrepreneurs from a project management standpoint; helping them streamline their efforts to be more efficient and effective (lean methodology). What I learned: - How to create a business plan - How to help others organize their thoughts/ideas - How manage a project with efficiency in mind
Bellingham SCVNGR Project
SCVNGR Through my research into game theory as well as companies that use game mechanics in the real world, I discovered SCVNGR. I spoke with Jeff Kirchick (their Universities Specialist) about their platform and he taught me the ins and outs of how it works. I immediately saw the psychological underpinnings in the technology and wanted to experiment with SCVNGR in my town. Jeff helped me use SCVNGR to explore how technology and psychology could work together for everyone’s benefit and I ended up using it to enrich my community (see http://bellingham.komonews.com/news/community-spirit/so-you-think-you-know-bellingham-now-you-can-test-your-skills/648059). A variety of organizations even asked me to help them with their marketing, community outreach, event promotions, etc. using SCVNGR: Sustainable Connections (local non-profit), Downtown Bellingham Partnership (local non-profit), The Woods Coffee (local coffee chain), Disidual Clothing (local student-run clothing company), Relay for Life of WWU (put on by the American Cancer Society), and more. What I learned: - How to create business relationships - How to create relationships between businesses and their customers - How to engage a community through technology - How to create interactive activities that allow businesses to engage their customers, while still providing real value - How to work with businesses to create a marketing plan that makes sense for their specific business
Bellingham SCVNGR Project
Sum Up I learned way more from my project with SCVNGR than I did in all the internships I had ever done - I was exposed to all sorts of “behind the scenes” processes that I never knew existed (e.g., business development, strategic planning, social media coordinating). Even my business and marketing major friends ended up benefiting from this experience: they had studied a lot of what I did on a conceptual level, but had never put much of it into use, and certainly not with a new technology that has as much promise as SCVNGR. My university gave me a foundation of knowledge, but SCVNGR took that foundation and put it into action!
Awesome feedback from a SCVNGR fan
Rewards from The Woods Coffee SCVNGR hunt
Rewards from the Disidual Clothing SCVNGR hunt
A flyer for a Ski to Sea SCVNGR hunt by a local salon
A flyer for a local business event SCVNGR hunt
A flyer for the Woods Coffee SCVNGR hunt