Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/100792
TYPES OF APPS Apple Store app, where you can book appointments at the Genius Bar, order in the store and pick up your item at the counter, and order via e-commerce. You can achieve the same results without creating an iPhone app by talking to your e-commerce vendor (Vin65.com can create a mobile version of your site for $500-$1,500). 4. Hahn���s app includes a retailer locator, so fans can easily find Hahn wines in their area. For a wine-related app, the options can be grouped into five major categories: 1. Customer acquisition and insights. This is often an app with the key functions of presenting your wines to consumers and requesting e-mail or social media profiles. It is built solely for getting more contact information or acquiring new customers. The best example of this is the WineDemon app from retailer Naked Wines, which lets users rate wines and search other users��� ratings. When qualified consumers join the app, WineDemon captures their e-mail addresses. Branding. Sometimes you want to tell a story and get your messaging out to the world. Other times, you want to provide key functionality, such as wine or tourism knowledge, and ensure that your brand is appropriately represented. In those cases, the return on investment of the application is the quantity of downloads and the usage of the app (even minimally). World���s Most Curious Bottle, from Brancott Estate in New Zealand, is a signature example of this. The app adds interesting interac- tions when users scan a label, and through augmented reality (superimposing computer-generated content over a live view of the world), it helps educate the consumer about the wine at the point of purchase. 5. For the hell of it. If you have the money and you want to experiment with innovation, the world is now your oyster. Some brands really take this to the limit. Great examples are Liberty School���s WineDJ, which pairs wine with music, and Share the Love by Drive Thru Interactive, which matches wine with good deeds. CONSIDER THE COMPETITION Once you���ve decided on the purpose of your app, it���s time to consider the competition. If you think you are competing with other wineries, you are wrong. And if you think you are competing only with 2. Customer engagement. These apps can focus on a particular winery���s brand, events and wines. They typically include lots of tools to bring your key customers back and communicate directly with you. One of the best examples of this is Hahn Winery���s app. With a retailer locater and winery updates, the app helps Hahn fans stay close to the brand they love. 3. E-commerce and customer relations. Some apps are designed to streamline the experience of buying and communicating service issues with a brand. Without question one of the best is the w w w. v w m media.com J a n - F e b 2 0 13 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 109