by Lindsey Goodwin

Last year on World Tea News, you learned to build a Web site, moved toward digital communications with consumers, and blog and tweet. Later, you learned to create a Facebook fan page, utilize photos and videos to your business’s benefit, and navigate Web culture. Now, you’re ready to learn more ways to increase your branding and consumer connectivity. Enter applications, or “apps,” the next level of digital marketing. 

Social networking site apps

At present, Celestial Seasonings offers a quiz-style Facebook app called PossibiliTEAS, and ESP Emporium has a Send a Cup of Tea app, in which ESP co-owner said Facebook users have shown “overwhelming interest.”

Facebook isn’t the only networking site with apps, but according to Brendan McGeever, vice president of sales at Context Optional, it is currently “the dominant player for brands to (digitally) connect with consumers.” He said this is in part because users can share brand information with their friends without directly sharing friends’ contact information. McGeever described the growth of business-oriented Facebook apps as “explosive,” and offered this advice for developing a successful app:

• Develop it alongside an ongoing plan for opening dialogue with consumers.
• Envision your core audience as your target app user.
• Identify the value in users becoming fans of your business.
• Consider contest or coupon apps, as these are popular incentives for new fans.
• Decide whether a campaign-based approach or more personal, conversational branding method suits your business.
• Include information or entertainment value for users.
• Create a viral component of the app to encourage its spread.

McGeever said the cost of a basic custom app starts around $15,000, and increases with the added complexity.

He added, “Even the staunchest (tea) brand lover probably has five, 10, 15 different brands of tea in their cupboards,” so tea brands may want to work together to develop and co-brand apps as a cost-saving, cross-promotion measure. 

Branded Smart Phone apps

As the dominant smart phone on the market, iPhones are rapidly becoming an alternative way to reach out to consumers. Gregg Weiss, founder of developer-finder iPhoneAppQuotes.com, compares the current state of business iPhone apps to where company Web sites were 10 years ago.

“These days, every business should have an app… An iPhone is a computer in your hand more than a Palm Pilot ever was,” he said.

At the time of publication, there were three branded, tea-related iPhone apps on the market:

• MyStarbucks (an app for finding Starbucks locations, coffee flavor profiles and nutritional information)
• Starbucks Card Mobile (an app version of the Starbucks Card)
• Teavana Perfect Tea Touch (a tea timer, store finder, product catalog, blending guide and social media promoter)

In addition to product information, GPS store locators and branding, Weiss suggested the following uses for iPhone apps:

• For Retailers – Stream blog posts through the app, and use push notifications to notify consumers about new products and other announcements. For a fee, an iPhone app can provide the same benefits as an e-commerce Web site with in-app purchases.
• For Cafes – Mobile ordering is possible, and is in use by companies like Chipotle. Additionally, Weiss predicts the imminent popularity of iPads (which are compatible with iPhone apps) as digital menus, complete with interactive features such as photos, videos and ordering capabilities.
• For Wholesalers – Use internal apps for customer relationship systems, inventory and more.

Weiss said most businesses maximize apps’ branding and sales benefits by providing them to consumers for free. Development costs for basic iPhone apps (such as a blog feed app) start around $1,000 and take about a month to develop, while e-commerce apps tend to be much more expensive and time-consuming. He added that apps typically cost between $5,000 and $15,000.

According to Weiss, business apps for Google’s Android platform could merit consideration as Android’s popularity rises.

Location-based mobile apps

If the price of entry for app development is out of your range, worry not – there are free mobile apps that act as small-scale digital platforms for brick-and-mortar businesses to promote themselves to local consumers. Not surprisingly, the three location-based mobile apps to watch are all linked to a tea-loving techie, Digg founder and upcoming World Tea Expo speaker Kevin Rose.

Rose recently gave a nod to Samovar Tea Lounge in his listing of Favorite Places on Google and posted a video blog about location-sharing apps, in which he discussed Gowalla and foursquare.

As explained in this video, Google’s Favorite Places allows users to learn about local hotspots via their smart phones. Local favorites and celebrity picks from major cities around the world are featured. Tea business owners can learn to add their business to the Favorite Places listing here.

With Gowalla, users check in using their iPhone, Android or BlackBerry, share their location with friends via Facebook and pick up or drop off items in a manner akin to a scavenger hunt. Participating tea businesses include The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Los Angeles and The Tea Embassy in Austin, Texas.

With foursquare, users check in to locations, share tips (such as ordering advice) with friends and Twitter followers, earn points toward rewards and receive freebies for customer loyalty. For example, TeaVolve in Baltimore rewards the most loyal customer with a free entrée.