Survive SXSW this year by checking in to the Underground on Whrrl

You’ve read all the blog posts, seen the tweets, received the party invites and feel there’s something in the air (and no, it’s not smog). People are beginning to converge in Austin, starting today and it’s not for the world-famous BBQ or to hunt down Oscar-winner and resident Sandra Bullock – it’s to attend the technology conference of the year, SXSW Interactive.

Now I hate to call myself a SXSW Veteran, but if you can survive one year of this conference and make it back the following year in one piece, you’re doing pretty good in my book. The rumors you here are true: don’t expect much sleep, because between the panels, networking, parties, chasing down “tech celebs” and business opportunities, you’re going to be exhausted fitting it all in.

That’s why the team at Whrrl decided we’d make it easy on you. When you land in Austin, just check in on Whrrl. Why? Because we’ve taken the guess work out of what’s cool to do at SXSW and created the Austin Underground Society to do all the work for you.

Quite simply, The Austin Underground Society will provide you with at-your-fingertips access to the hottest parties, events, and other fun things to do at SXSW. Let our hostess, Velma Underground, save you from all the work as she recommends what the cool kids will be doing at the conference. Follower her on Whrrl and on Twitter. You can view and then save her recommendations in your “want to do list” (new in Whrrl 3!) so you don’t forget.

While the Underground has some “official SXSW parties” listed, we’ve learned that folks often go rogue and throw their own events. So, we’ve focused on providing you the insiders guide on what’s cool – not what’s official. If you want to know where Guy Kawasaki is throwing back some ribs at a boot barn outside downtown Austin, or Jeff Pulver is hosting the twitter elite for cocktails, the Underground Society is your place.

But that’s not all – we got deals for ya, too! Whrrl has partnered with over 50 merchants in the downtown Austin area to provide Underground members with exclusive offers. Simply check into the locations listed within the Underground Society and redeem your offer by showing your phone to merchants. The Four Seasons Hotel Austin, Outback Steakhouse, Cool River Cafe, Chuggin’ Monkey, J Black’s, Red Fez and Third Base are just some of the awesome local business participating.

But wait- there’s really more! Whrrl has some other fun surprises in store for you, too. We don’t want to say what they are, because we think it’s more fun for you to stumble across them… like this logo which made some noise on Twitter today (it’s just chalk guys… really!)

Finally, we’d love to meet you in person! Whrrl is proud to be a sponsor of the “State of Now” cocktail party on Friday, March 12th from 6-8 pm at Lanai. Underground members will receive a limited edition Whrrl t-shirt and free drink when you check in. Hurry- not only is there limited availability, but the party has over 1,000 registered guests- we don’t want to miss you!

See ya’ll in Austin- safe travels!

Look for our team in Austin – Jeff Holden, CEO & Co-Founder, John Kim, V.P. of Product Management and Marketing, and Heather Meeker, Director of Marketing & Corporate Communications.

Introducing Whrrl 3

This is a big day for me.

I founded Pelago in 2006 with the vision of helping people escape their social ruts, of bringing people together in a new and interesting way to inspire each other to do new things and to experience new social opportunities in the real world.

Since I founded the company, sadly, the problem has gotten worse. (Doh.)  The problem as we understood it in 2006 took the form of people tending to go out to the same places over and over again – the classic “what do you want to do?  I don’t know, what do you want to do?” problem.  But now, there’s a whole new way to be boring.  :-)  You can sit at your computer and spend countless hours throwing sheep at your friend’s Facebook wall, play Mafia Wars to level infinity and hoe someone else’s virtual garden – all substitutes for getting together with others in the real world.

Even more now than ever, we need to help people escape back into the real world, to add some spice to their lives.

With Whrrl 2, we started down the path by allowing people to inspire each other with everyday, real-world “stories.”  Today, we introduce, in Whrrl 3, what we believe is the full cure for Social Rut.

We had a dream that we could enable people to vote with their feet as to the places in the real world that are important to them; that we could bring together people whose feet take them to the same kinds of places and allow them to exchange ideas – all those little bits of knowledge people have about places in the real world; and that we could put those ideas at your fingertips with unprecedented relevancy.

This dream materialized.  These groups of people who share real-world patterns are called Societies.

Societies are powerful.  They enable the Whrrl community to curate the world and engage in a new kind of conversation that leads over and over again to discovery — discovery that is always relevant to the Society members, because it’s from other Foodies if you’re in a Foodie Society, other gamers if you’re in the Pinball Wizard Society, other wine lovers if you’re in one of our Wine Bar Societies, and so on.  You get into Societies by checking into the places you go, and believe me, it’s very obvious when you get into a Society.

We took it a step further.  Societies have levels.  People move up levels by getting “influence points.”  People get influence points by doing things that, well, influence other people to try something.  For example, if I check in somewhere, my friends can see where I am, so I might influence them to go to that place.  I get some points for that.  If I create a recommendation to go to Restaurant Zoe and get the (off-menu) Siren drink, I might influence them, so I get some points.  If a friend or fellow Society member clicks “want to” on my recommendation or check-in, I get even more points.  If they click “did it!” on my recommendation, I get even more points.  If they then re-recommend my rec, I get even more points.

Lucky me!  :-)

(I should mention that you can add photos to your recs in Whrrl 3.  You already know a picture is worth a thousand words, and now it will probably get you quite a few extra influence points, too!)

Societies, recs and influence points are wickedly cool (we think), but we didn’t stop there.  We created a way for real-world merchants to make offers to Whrrlers.  Not only can they make offers at individual places of business, but directly to Societies, as well.  In fact, the offers can made to members of Societies *by level*.  So, a gym owner might make an offer for all Gym Rats, but they can make a super special offer for just VIP- or Trendsetter-level Gym Rats.  For Whrrlers, that means that as you level up in Societies, you unlock more and more potent offers from merchants.  We have lots of offers in Whrrl today, and the number grows daily.

That’s also pretty darned cool, in our collective humble opinion.  But, again, we didn’t stop there.  As you level up in Societies, you also unlock special privileges, which are things you can do in Whrrl.  Like maybe you want to change the places in a Society.  Or maybe you want to create your own Societies.  There are many privileges to unlock, but I won’t spoil the fun by listing them all out here.

To make Whrrl 3 as fingertippy as possible, all of the recommendations and offers come together in one place in Whrrl 3:  your Ideas list.  Wherever you are, just click on the Ideas tab to see all the relevant recs and offers around you.  For every Idea, we keep track of everything that happens to it “in the wild.”  Who wants to do your Idea?  Who has done it?  Who has re-recommended it?  Not only do you get points as you help people discover, you can see exactly who the people are!  Oh, and you might see a few surprises on your Ideas list that go beyond offers and recs from others.  Let’s just say our algorithms are constantly trying to figure out cool and interesting things for you to do based on what others are doing and have done, so check your Ideas list often.

I have to say, it makes me tingly just writing all of this.  Whew!

So, in short, by participating in the Whrrl 3 community, you’re simultaneously helping your friends and others who share your interests, and you’re opening new experiences and pathways of exploration for yourself in your city.

We poured our heart and soul into Whrrl 3, and we feel like we’ve created something special and powerful for all of you, and something that will definitely enhance your life.  We look forward to being surprised by how you use it and to your as-always super valuable feedback.

May your life be spicy.

You can read the press release about the Whrrl 3 launch here.

Whrrl and Travel Channel let you decide “Who Wins the Food War” in your town

Heated debates are taking place across the country, with loyal fans passionately defending the local eateries and iconic dishes that make their towns famous. Where’s the best pastrami sandwich in New York? Who serves the top Italian Beef Sandwich in Chicago? What’s the #1 hot dog in Detroit?

Today, Travel Channel is premiering a new show called Food Wars, which aims to answer these questions. Food Wars will pit the nation’s most famous culinary rivals against one another for a final showdown, where a blind taste test will settle the score on these long-standing rivalries.  And you can choose your side too, with Whrrl.

Starting now, you’ll be able to join Travel Channel’s “Food Wars Society” on Whrrl. It’s simple: just check in to one of the official Food Wars locations around the country and you’ll be accepted into the Society. As a member, you’ll be able to share stories about your own taste tests at these rival spots and declare which you think is the winner. Inspire others to compare these spots too – and help settle these legendary food wars.

But that’s not all. Later this week, we’ll be launching the all-new version of Whrrl. Whrrl 3 will provide even more ways to discover Food Wars content, including:

• Societies Tab:  You’ll be able to view the Food Wars Society and all Societies within Whrrl in one place. As a member of the “Food Wars” Society, you’ll have the exclusive ability to view special challenges, view recommendations and create recommendations for your friends.
• Ideas Tab:  You’ll also be able to view challenges on the new Ideas tab when you’re nearby any Food Wars location and save these challenges on the new “want to” and “did it” lists. You can also recommend these challenges to friends by placing them on their “Ideas” list.

Food Wars is one of the first among many Travel Channel Societies that will be launching within Whrrl. Stay tuned later this week to learn more!

And don’t forget to catch the premiere of Travel Channel’s Food Wars tonight, Tuesday, March 9^th at 10 PM EST, as Travel Channel settles the Buffalo Chicken Wing war and Chicago’s infamous Italian Beef Sandwich rivalry.  To learn more, you can visit the show’s Web site.

How Whrrl and other technologies are changing the face of the automobile retail industry

Eric Miltsch posted a great blog post this week on Headlight – a digital automotive trends blog from Razorfish – about how six technologies are changing the face of the automobile retail industry. We were very pleased to see Whrrl and our Merchant Program was mentioned as one of these breakthrough technologies!

The article talks about geo-location services whereby you can offer an incentive for consumers to visit and engage them with new discount/promotional ideas. That got us thinking, and we have an idea.

How about having customers check in on Whrrl, take a picture of the hot new car model, and then tweet it out for a chance to win a prize from the dealer? Or, you could have customers share details and pics from their test drive, creating a “virtual test drive” for other customers, which would lure them take their own test drive?

We’re fired up with ideas- what are yours?

Here’s the article:

UPDATED: 61 Whrrl Societies now live!

In January, we announced the first expansion of Whrrl Societies to 28 cities throughout the Unites States.  If you’re still unfamiliar with the concept behind Whrrl Societies, they are groups of like-minded people that have the same real world patterns. For instance, I’d consider myself a “foodie” because I like to go to restaurants in Seattle that are known for their top-rated cuisine. If you also have a passion for fine dining, you’d be a foodie, too- and we would be in the same Society.

Today we’re excited to roll out our first set of 26 nationwide tag-based Societies. (And there are more than 625,000 places in cities across the U.S. that count toward membership in these Societies!) Do people call you “Norm” when you walk into the local bar because you have a seat waiting for you? Chances are you’ll be in the Bar Fly Society. Are you pampered, head-to-toe, from all the spas and salons you go to? Sounds like you’re the perfect person for our Princess Society!

You can find a list of Societies near you that you’re not yet a member of on your “Profile” page in Whrrl’s iPhone app. Here you’ll be able to read about each Society, and see locations near you that count toward membership into the Society. Each check-in to a place associated with these Societies will count toward unlocking the membership for you. We’ll also automatically share when you are accepted into a Society on your Facebook and Twitter pages (if you’ve linked them). Here is our list of new Societies and the establishment type associated with them.

UPDATE: We’ve added more over the last three weeks, for a total of 61 (random, we know). Here is the complete list:

1. Hit ‘Em Straight (golf)
2. Get Well Soon (hospitals, doctors offices)
3. Pop, Lock & Drop It (dance clubs)
4. Lemongrass (Thai food)
5. Gadget Geek (tech & gadget stores)
6. Escargot (French cuisine)
7. Sshhhh (libraries)
8. Battered & Fried (fish ‘n’ chips)
9. Foot Long (hot dog joints)
10. Finger Lickin’ (hot wings)
11. Bollyfood (Indian food)
12. Tofu Cutie (vegetarian)
13. High Roller (gambling & casinos)
14. Down Home Cookin (southern)
15. Sweet Tooth (dessert)
16. Bueller (teenage, high school)
17. Luck O the Irish (Irish pubs)
18. Einstein (universities)
19. Greasy Spoon (diners)
20. Field of Dreams (baseball)
21. Diamond (karaoke)
22. Supermarket Sweep (grocery stores)
23. Hold the Mayo (delis)
24. High Steaks (steak restaurants)
25. Snow Chaser (ski & snowboard resorts)
26. Animal House (universities)
27. Up in the Air (airports)
28. Roller Coaster Junkie (amusement parks)
29. Love Birds (bridal)
30. Homer’s (donut shops)
31. Gym Rat (gym)
32. Shaken, Not Stirred (cocktail lounges)
33. Pinball Wizard (arcades)
34. Slurpee Society (convenience stores)
35. Societe de Café (cafés)
36. Weekend Brunch (Breakfast)
37. Chinese Pagoda (Chinese cuisine)
38. Supersized (Fast food)
39. Strange Brew (Brewpubs)
40. The Dude Abides (Bowling)
41. Yo Quiero Mexican (Mexican cuisine)
42. What the Pho (Vietnamese & Pho cuisine)
43. Pie in the Sky (Pizza)
44. Cultured (Museums, Theaters, Galleries, etc.)
45. Furry Friends (Pet stores, Veterinarian, Pet services, etc.)
46. MiniMe (Kids places, parks, zoos, toy stores, etc.)
47. Princess (Tanning salon, nail salon, massage, etc.)
48. Bar Fly (Bars)
49. All American (American cuisine)
50. Pitmaster (Barbecue joints)
51. High Jolt (Coffee shops)
52. Dough Boy (Bakeries)
53. Do It Yourself (Home improvement)
54. Mamma Mia (Italian cuisine)
55. Wasabi (Sushi joints)
56. Fisherman’s Wharf (Seafood restaurants)
57. Golden Popcorn (Movie Theaters)
58. Starbucks
59. Do Not Disturb (Hotels)
60. Hamburgler (Hamburger places)
61. We Scream (Ice cream )

We’ll be rolling out many more over the next month. What societies will YOU be a member of? We can’t wait to find out! Is there a society we’re missing? Let us know – email us with suggestions and comments at societies@whrrl.com

Whrrl brings the history of rock and roll to the palm of your hand

Today, we announced a partnership with Paul Allen’s Seattle-based Experience Music Project and the iconic New York venue Max’s Kansas City to bring the history of rock and roll to Whrrl. So, what exactly does this mean?

Much of our nation’s history of rock and roll has not yet been digitized. The information is in books, manuscripts, interviews and even memories, but not accessible on the Web – much less on the mobile phone. By bringing the rich history of rock and roll to Whrrl, anyone can now say “I was here too” when they check in to locations around the country and experience this history firsthand. It’s a one of kind experience!

Here’s an example: If you visit the Experience Music Project (EMP) in Seattle, you’ll see napkins from hotels where Jimi Hendrix wrote the lyrics to some of his most famous songs. What hotel was that? Why did he write those lyrics on that occasion? What’s the story? It’s now possible you may check into that exact hotel and learn what inspired Hendrix on that day.

Whrrl is bringing over 125 stories at over 100 places to six cities around the nation, and more to come. Here’s the current societies that you may stumble upon and unlock membership:

• Grunge
• Jimi Hendrix
• Minneapolis Punk
• Prince
• LA Rock ‘n’ Roll
• LA Punk
• New York Rock ‘n’ Roll
• New York Punk
• Washington, DC Punk
• San Francisco Psychedelic Rock
• Creedence Clearwater Revival
• Bruce Springsteen
• Max’s Kansas City Society

To learn more, you can read the entire press release here, and read the blog post TechFlash wrote about it here.