Mobile phones and social media are often ‘necessary’ for our survival. We rely on checking email while we’re at a red light, jotting down a to-do list while we’re waiting in line, or checking the score of the game while we’re at dinner. (I admit to only two of those things.) I’m notorious for having a phone in my hand, not only because of my addiction to Twitter, but also because I know the value of information on the go. On Sunday, I needed to make use of my mobile addiction in a new way. My Palm Pre was put to the test with a scavenger hunt.

The race, called Adventure in the City, was a fundraiser for the Hunger Task Force. Many scavenger hunts have you find items and bring back them back to the finish. However, this race put the proof in the palm of your hand by having you take pictures at your clue locations.

Each team of two received a list of clues to locations around Milwaukee. We then had to decipher the clues and document ourselves completing the task or challenge at each location. They range from donating a food item at a Hunger Task Force bin to getting a bumper sticker from Wolski’s Tavern (I Closed Wolski’s, anyone?). We even had to get a group of strangers to participate in a kickline!

I ran the entire race with my phone in my hand, noting opportunities to use my resources along the way. Here’s a breakdown of how my mobile connection helped — or could have helped me — in the race.

Challenge: Find 3 fountains of any size.
We thought we had an edge on this one since we had previously created a Milwaukee area drinking fountain map as a running resource. It would have been handy to call that up on my screen on my mobile phone, however, I couldn’t figure out how to get to ‘My Maps’ within my gmail app. We ended up coming across a few indoor bubblers, and a stumbled upon a park fountain at the last minute.

Challenge: Drop off a non-perishable food item at a Hunger Task Force dropoff location.
Google: Tried a search for Hunger Task Force website. It wasn’t formatted for a mobile browser and I had trouble navigating while on the go. Plan B.

Google maps: Searched for ‘Hunger Task Force Dropoff locations’ and I was given the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum. I attempted to call and verify, and there was no answer. Plan C.

Twitter: I tweeted, “Help – anyone know of a dropoff point for Hunger Task Force downtown or near Landmark Lanes?” the response was retweeted and picked up by @hungertaskforce, but not until the next day. Most replies said they couldn’t find a dropoff point on the website, even at home in front of their own computers.

Finally, we figured out that the clue had given us the location already! One underlined word, KARMA, tipped us off. So much for using our mobile resources!

Challenge: Purchase nonperishable food item for the Hunger Task Force.

I bought crackers at the Cheese Mart for $2.10. At this point I thought it would be handy to have a credit card on me instead of the $5 cash they advised us to bring. I ended up carrying 90 cents in change in my running shorts pocket. If I could have scanned my phone to pay I would have had nothing to carry!

Challenge: Take the bus.

We were allowed to use public transportation during the race. We chose to run since we are runners by trade and never take the bus. But, a bus may have helped us win (we came in 11th place).

It would have been much simpler than we thought. Although www.ridemcts.com doesn’t have an app or a mobile-friendly site, the good news is that Google has teamed up with them to offer a trip planner on their website. Once I entered ‘to: Landmark Lanes’ and ‘from: Bar Louie’ into the search bars, my Palm Pre recognized that I wanted to use the map feature and loaded up the Google Maps application on my phone.

This told me when the next bus would come, what route it was, where to walk to meet the bus, and had a map showing my location in comparison to where I needed to be. Now that’s more like it!

If we would have boarded a bus, we would have had to pay with sweaty runner money. Another opportunity for mobile payment!

The Adventure in the City highlights a unique opportunity to think of how your customer might use your information in all kinds of situations. Don’t send your customer on a wild goose chase. Is your website a scavenger hunt, or do you make it easy for customers when they are in a hurry or on the go?

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Anne is a Project Manager at Roll Mobile. She is a fitness fanatic and Twitter addict who is candid, random, and will give you the benefit of the doubt. Suggestions for a BLOG@ROLL topic can be sent to anne@whyroll.com or on Twitter via @RollMobile.