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"Starbucks, a company that already rewards frequent customers with the Barista badge on social gaming app Foursquare \u2014 is officially turning on the rewards side of its experimental Foursquare loyalty program with the first-ever nationwide mayor special.\nStarting today, mayors of individual Starbucks stores can unlock the Mayor Offer and enjoy a money-saving perk for their frequent store checkins.\nThe deal offers customers a $1 discount on a Frappucino. The special greets mayors with this message: \"As mayor of this store, enjoy $1 off a NEW however-you-want-it Frappuccino blended beverage. Any size, any flavor. Offer valid until 6/28.\"\nTristan Walker, who heads up business development at Foursquare, tells us that the Starbucks special is a one-time mayor deal that runs through June 28, but he's optimistic that Starbucks will continue to experiment with mayor rewards on an ongoing basis. \"Starbucks is particularly innovative as it relates loyalty and social media,\" Walker noted, \"so we continue to be super excited to explore this intersection with them.\"\nThere are a number of reasons why the Starbucks nationwide mayor reward is significant. It's a first for both Foursquare and the coffee retailer, and will likely bring mass attention to the marketing possibilities of the location-sharing trend.\nIt's also an important development in light of pending Facebook location features, which we've yet to see in the wild. Starbucks \u2014 which is one of the most \"Liked\" brands on Facebook \u2014 is making a conscious choice to go with Foursquare, which should serve to legitimize Foursquare as the key player in the space for now.\nOn the consumer side of things, getting a $1 off a Frappuccino is a pretty nice discount, considering customers routinely pay $4 or more for their favorite blended beverage. Of course, with the mayorship rewards, we expect competition to heat up on Foursquare more so than ever before. As such, it will be crucial for Foursquare to ensure that their new anti-cheater measures work as designed.\n\n[img credits: Thomas Hawk,\u00A0TheBlackFin]\n\n\nFor more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook\n\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2010/05/17/starbucks-foursquare-mayor-specials/>