When it comes to new mobile apps, social and local reign — so it makes sense that Budweiser, the “King of Beers,” chose Wendr’s “Buds by Budweiser” app for a partnership in Ad Age’s second Brand Hack.
Wendr, a start-up that lets friends connect and make in-app plans for the evening, was well positioned to make the winning pitch to A-B InBev, Bud’s parent company. They leverage hyperlocal connectivity with a mobile platform, bringing responses to all of those “Hey, what are you up to tonight?” texts together into — what else? — an app.
The mobile app company’s pitch to Budweiser beat out five other app ideas, due in large part to Wendr’s nightlife-heavy angle. A-B InBev’s global director of strategic innovation–technology, Winston Wang, told Ad Age that “night out” was a vibe that the beer giant especially wanted to promote.
The Buds by Budweiser app is built around social planning: users can see who’s interested in hanging out that night, find nearby bars where they can grab a Bud, and then check in on Foursquare to spread the word. They’d then get discounts — or a free beer! — for using the app.
Other apps pitched included real-time functions and geolocation, but Wendr’s was the only app to combine all that with a user’s social network, freebies, and a pun. Budweiser won’t necessarily be building the app as it was pitched, but they’ve chosen Wendr for the wide social-local experience their pitch showed — for a partnership of up to $25,000.
We’ll be excited to see how the Wendr–Bud partnership takes shape. In the meantime, you can download Wendr’s app and wend your way through your Friday night. (Yes, we like puns, too.)
