Google has confirmed it plans to launch a mobile check-in deals feature within days, according to a report by the British newspaper, the Inquirer.  The article tells of a documentation page, since removed, that describes how users will be able to share offers that are redeemed with people in Circles of their choice. Or, conversely, they could choose to keep the deal private.

One of Many, Many Examples

This offering will be just one twist on a mobile marketing model that has numerous permutations.

Typically, however, they are some variation of a mobile check in campaign underway in the Washington, DC area right now, by Verizon FiOS. The mobile check in piece, which is part of a larger multi-channel campaign described in Connected Planet, is being offered with restaurant guide site Eater.com.

Adjusting Expectations

However, new research suggests that mobile check in campaigns are similar to QR Code-based campaigns in that the technology is fun and interesting but ultimately it has only limited reach. A new survey from JiWire finds that  35% of mobile users either like (22%) or love (13%) location-based check-in services, matched by the proportion who either do not like (8%) or do not understand (27%) the services.

Men Prefer Check-ins; Women Not So Much

The report also finds that men are more likely than women to enjoy check-in services (39% vs. 30%), while women are 50% more likely to not understand the services (33% vs. 22%).

Younger users also tend to report greater enjoyment: 46% of those ages 24 and under either like or love the services, compared to 40% of those aged 25-44 and 29% of those aged over 45.

The most popular check-in categories include restaurants, hotels, pubs/bars, and health clubs.