Walgreens’ popular smartphone, Facebook apps keep the brand relevant
To make itself stand out with young customers, the drug store chain is pushing smartphone apps and a way to print out a photo with social media enhancements.
“Relevancy is critical to driving the brand,” says Rich Lesperance, senior director of Walgreens’ digital wallet and rewards programs. “We believe that offering a valuable experience through whichever channel our customers choose to engage will allow us to stay at the forefront.”
To make the experience of traditional drug-store tasks more relevant, the company is throwing in a few extra mobile and social ingredients. For example, customers can print photos with friends’ comments along the right side of the print.
The extra spice is drawing attention.
‘Social printing’
The idea of adding Facebook comments to a print of a photo, which the company calls “social printing,” is one that has evolved over time, Lesperance says. Walgreens added the “Quickprints” feature to its mobile app in mid-2012. It enabled users to send digital versions of photos to their nearest store and pick them up in about an hour, a move that made sense given that lots of people take more pictures with phones than with cameras.
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