Brands Try To Become 'Mayor' Of Foursquare But Will They Pay For It?

ADVERTISING AGE — Don't look now, but big brands are checking in on Foursquare. Pepsi, frozen-dessert chain Tasti D-Lite and cable network Bravo are all attempting to harness the power of the mobile game/social network. The question is whether they'll pay for the privilege. Or whether Foursquare, which has 300,000 users now voluntarily "checking in" at locations, and broadcasting that to their followers, will transcend its current "it" status among the technorati and become a lasting consumer phenomenon -- and a marketing tool...