Businesses: Get More Customers in the Door with the Hot or Cold Game

Kira M. Newman Apr 2, 2012 Tweet

Remember Hot or Cold? Not the Katie Perry song, but the kids’ game: you hide something and help the seeker find it by telling her if she’s “hot” or “cold.”

Well, now you can play it on your iPhone – or, for businesses, you can create a game to lure in customers. Hot or Cold® lets you invite friends from Facebook and offer rewards when they sniff out the location. It’s similar to scavenger hunt app SCVNGR, which focuses more on tasks along the way.

Businesses can get creative: offer a free coffee or a discounted gadget for the first customer to arrive, or even try to stage a flash mob – channeling that social media buzz to collect a huge group of people.

“Let’s say a new bar expects to be struggling on a Friday or Saturday night: they could have their DJs push out an invitation to Hot or Cold® users offering free drinks if 100 people show up. Or if a food truck stops on a new corner, what greater way to get people to check out the spot by inviting them out using Hot or Cold®?” says marketing and sales director Travis Franklin.

Hot or Cold®’s maker, Boise-based BOBEC Apps (founded 2010), is locally funded and enjoys collaborating with Boise startups and businesses.

“We hear all types of news on how great Silicon Valley is or how Seattle hosts all the Microsoft geniuses. We want everyone to also hear about how incredible the talent is right here in the Treasure Valley,” explains Franklin.

Find them celebrating the Boise community tomorrow as a featured startup at our Tech Cocktail Boise mixer.