The location-based, check-in phenomenon that Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt and now Facebook Places have popularized domestically is going global, and the Austrian social Yellow Pages community Tupalo wants to be the first mover as the virtual check-in line crosses the pond.

The Vienna-based company, a joint venture of HEROLD.at and European Directories that is operational in five European nations, features check-ins on its newly released iPhone app and various Web platforms. You’ve heard of  badges. Perhaps you’re even a “super mayor” or “foodie.” Now Tupalo is crowning “Kaisers” for those with the most check-ins at a certain spot.

CEO Mike Borras told BIA/Kelsey that achievement badges will serve as the initial rewards but emphasized that Tupalo is actively recruiting local businesses in its core Austrian markets to offer “check-in for rewards” inducements. Couponing is already a staple of the Web platform and will soon shift over to mobile as well.

Backing check-ins with tangible rewards can mitigate user fatigue and bolster the unique loyalty programs inherent in location-based offerings that are critical to local merchants.

The growth of location-based services overseas is worth watching. While Europe boasts high 3G rates, it lags behind the U.S. in smartphone penetration. Borras believes that European LBS is “primed to kick off in a big way in 2011″ and wants Tupalo’s presence in core markets to be well-etched when the trend activates. It will need to act quickly, as Foursquare is already ensconced throughout Europe.

Borras is originally from the U.S. and has expanded the Tupalo brand into selected American markets, with Houston as the first. Domestic check-ins will not be immediately available, but he said they are “on our radar.”

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A majority of the on-the-go crowd is open to sharing its location in exchange for relevant advertising. Men share their location more often than women. And couponing is still king, with check-ins playing catch-up. These are just a few of the findings from JiWire’s Q2 2010 Mobile Audience Insights Report, which studies consumer behavior and device use related to location-based advertising and content. 

Among the top takeaways from the report:

– In exchange for relevant advertising, 51 percent of JiWire’s “On-The-Go Audience” is willing to submit its location.  Interestingly, women, who are generally much more likely to participate in social group buying services such as Groupon and other deal-a-day providers, are less likely to share their location (54 percent of men; 42 percent of women); 25-to-34 year-olds show the greatest propensity to share location, with the 18-24, 25-34 and 35-44 age brackets all answering yes at 50-plus percent.

– Unsurprisingly, the 18-44 age demo represents the strongest interacters with location-specific mobile ads; 25-34 is the only group in which more than half (53 percent) of respondents were willing to engage these ads. Again, men (47 percent) are more likely than women (40 percent) to participate in this behavior.

– For all the chatter about check-ins, “mayorships” and game mechanics, couponing still scores at or near the top in advertising and application appeal. Thirty-nine percent of respondents say that coupons are their favorite form of location-based advertising. Meanwhile, only GPS/Maps is considered a more “valuable” location-based application.  The check-ins that Foursquare, Gowalla and others have popularized rank fifth on the valuable-applications list, with “collectible badges and competition” seventh.

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