For those die-hard Food Network fans, the long-time television network updated their mobile apps, In The Kitchen' and ‘Food Network On TV’, and introduced a new one, ‘On The Road’, this summer. One of the first cooking networks on television, their mobile apps are a great idea for extending their brand presence beyond the television screen.
Each app helps incorporate the network in viewers’ daily lives in their own unique way. ‘Food Network On TV' offers popular full-length episodes, schedules, and exclusive video clips. The 'In The Kitchen' app organizes recipes from favorite television programs or chefs, and 'On The Road' is a travel aid app that organizes restaurant recommendations from the various television shows on the network.
The ‘Food Network On TV’ differentiates itself from the other apps by being more of a television supplement and works hand in hand for when you’re watching their programs. It’s great that Food Network is jumping into the mobile world because if anything, cooking shows are no strangers to the interactive entertainment that many other shows are now adopting. Cooking is naturally a social experience, which may be a reason why the earliest shows had live audiences. Now, the audience doesn’t have to physically be in the same room as the entertainer, they just need to have a mobile device.
Food Network’s other two apps – ‘On The Road’ and ‘In The Kitchen’ are more intriguing because it takes interactive entertainment one-step further. These two apps bring the television network beyond the magic box that sits in your living room and into your daily lives. You can look up restaurant recommendations when you’re traveling in the ‘On The Road’ app, or you can use ‘In The Kitchen’ and bring your favorite recipes with you to the grocery store. These apps are helping you finally complete the experience that has been missing with cooking networks.
What was once entertainment can be put to action and become useful information. From recipes to shows that list the best of [insert awesome food here], the network has a plethora of content that, after the episode premiere, idly sits by and collects dust. Now all of this valuable content can live in a place that can be easily accessed when the user needs it (not when the episode reruns at 2 am) and the apps can become a source of information for fans.
Though these apps may never win foodie app of the year, that’s not the point. Food Network created these apps to enrich the experience of their fans. They’re organized in a way for fans to quickly connect to their favorite shows or entertainer all at the ease of their smartphone. It’s a smart move by the network and hope to see more of their digital endeavors.