Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/100792
The WineDJ app from Liberty School pairs wine with music. There���s a Wine App for That Are applications worth the resources it takes to produce and maintain them? BY PAUL MABRAY It���s true: There is an app for almost everything. At last count, the wine industry had almost 600 of them, offering everything from education to recommendations to tastingnote tools. According to comScore Inc., a Virginia-based Internet technology company that measures consumer behavior in the digital world, the number of smartphone users in the United States surpassed 100 million last year. With those kinds of numbers, the potential audience for wine brands represents a giant target. But before you jump with both feet into this rich consumer pool, you need to understand what building an app means to your brand ��� and your budget. 108 V I N EYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT | Jan - Feb 2013 AT A GLANCE + There are more than 100 million smartphone users in the United States and 600 wine apps. + The goal of a wine app can be anything from acquiring customer e-mail addresses to branding to entertainment. + Apps are costly not only to develop, but also to update and maintain. + Wineries should think before they launch. w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m