Show me the way

Finally an iPhone application that I fully understand and appreciate. Being a non-iPhone person (travesty, I know), I constantly hear about the loads of apps that ‘make life easier’ or ‘give you something that you didn’t know you needed.’ My phone has no internet access or crazy abilities to predict the weather or solve world hunger. I like it that way. It’s a phone. Makes calls, gets whatever I need to say to whomever I need to say it to.

However, upon reading about the Charmin free mobile social-networking utility called SitOrSquat, I almost wished that I had an iPhone.

The effort was launched in December and helps locate public restrooms. In addition to just finding a restroom, the site star ratings based on their cleanliness and other amenities so you can choose if it is worth it to walk 2 blocks more for an extra cleanliness star. As of last month, SitOrSquat had logged more than 52,000 toilets in 10 countries, more than half a million unique visitors and more than 1,600 downloads of its mobile apps



I love this idea. It shows some consumers that the brand is looking out for them, even if Charmin doesn’t direct benefit. The brand is using social networks is a transparent way while providing an obvious benefit to consumers. Other brands can learn from this effort. Provide something to your consumers. Gone are the times of yelling at consumers and expecting it to work. Brand need to show consumers they are going to get something out of it. And in this situation, it’s the safe feeling that you don’t have to disinfect your whole body after using a public restroom.

I still maintain that Charmin’s ads top my list as worst advertisements ever made. Those bears make me want to DVR everything just so I won’t have to watch those commercials. I was excited about this campaign but that waned some when I saw the large-bottomed bear on the site. However, the genius of SitorSquat.com almost makes me forget how much I dislike Charmin and its bears.

Almost.