Sure, it’s only really exciting news for those in the industry, but Apple’s addition of a “Food & Drink” category to their app store could mean big things for food businesses, brands, and products. Apple’s app store gets copious visits each day, so getting the name of your company app in it’s own category in the app store, or getting an app that carries your ads within it is very prudent. Apple has not really done anything too incredible with advertising in the past, at least nothing that hasn’t been done before. However, the things they do for small and large businesses alike are quite unique.
Macstories first reported their new category addition in the well visited App Store, which isn’t the only change that has come recently to the App store. Apple has recently added things like editor’s choice Apps, sponsored apps, and top ranking apps. It’s through these that advertisers can navigate users to their apps, or to the apps where they have chosen to advertise. Now, with this new category of the App store, the food and beverage industry has a chance to use the App store to prosper.
With this new addition to the App store, it brings into recognition another fact; Apple has no direct advertising in their App store, like you might see with Google’s Play Store. So my question was, how are they even relevant in the advertising world aside from the application ads within the apps in their store? Well, Apple was soon redeemed in my view of the advertising world, for I stumbled upon their iAd page in the developer section of the Apple website. Although many people knew about their advertising application, it is still pretty innovative of them. The site promises things like, “Rich, captivating ads that keep users in your apps,” and that you will, “generate more revenue from your apps.” The iAd network is pretty much an advertising network, optimized for multiple platforms, that is unique and will be targeted at any Apple user.
The reason I bring up iAd, even though it isn’t a recent advancement from Apple, is because with this new category of food and drink in the App store, it leaves more room for the many small businesses in the food service world to have their apps visited and their advertisements seen. Just like the rest of the business world, restaurants and food products rely on mobile and internet marketing to make their success, and until now, their apps and advertisements were not very easy to find on the App store.
Apple’s new addition to their App store will probably do more for the food service industry than they even thought it would. With Food & Drink Apps now easily accessible by anyone, in turn making their in-app ads more available for viewing by potential consumers, small businesses may see an increase in their advertising success. On the other hand, there’s a possibility that nothing will change for these small businesses, which would be a shame. We’ll just have to wait and see what this new addition to the App store will do for small business advertising in the food industry.
