With such an emphasis on health these days, I thought it’d be easier to find a branded water app. I thought the big brands like Aquafina or Dasani would use technology to connect with their consumers. The app could be a water tracking service for those who want to monitor their intake, or it could help users locate where the nearest water is sold, but I couldn’t find one that directly linked water to a water brand.

The brands that did have an app took a unique approach. Sanpellegrino’s has created an app called Delightways that allows people to enter a destination and the app will provide other attractions to see along the way. It is innovative and useful for people who may be traveling to another city. As a “New Yorker” I thought it’d be fun to see what comes up if I wanted to visit Times Square (ha) from the Upper East Side. It provided me with a few trendy food place and also some statues and landmarks, all on the way to the tourist trap Times Square. It’s very colorful much like the Sanpellegrino drink and brand. The functionality is simple and familiar for those who utilize any other mapping application. This app is set up for success because it can be used in several cities, and if you live in a place like NYC it may be impossible to see all of the places featured in the app so it’d entice someone to use it multiple times. One thing I did notice was that there was little connection to the Sanpellegrino brand (except for the color and logo upfront). I think I’ll keep this app for now and see where it’ll take me in the future.

Perrier Sparkling Natural Mineral Water is another brand that created an app experience with Blippar. The app tries to recognize anything you point the camera at. For example, I pointed the camera at my laptop as I type this, and it came up with “computer screen”, “laptop” and “desk”. When I clicked on any of those terms, it would provide with more information on the term- where to buy a laptop, how to buy the best laptop and how to fix a laptop. Again, the connection to the water brand is minimal. The concept behind Blippar is intriguing, but I’m not sure how useful it is. The idea could work well for kids who may be learning what objects are but for adults, it may not be as necessary. The app is fairly easy to use once you get the hang of it but it’s not as intuitive as it could be. I don’t think I’ll be keeping this one on my phone as I much prefer to Google if I have questions (such a millennial, I know).

There is an opportunity for water brands to take the lead with creating applications or partnering with fitness applications that are currently in use. The app could allow people to not only track their water intake (by cup or bottle) but also locate where the brand’s water is being sold. Daily reminders can be set up and users can even order cases of the water from the app itself. I think that if the app has multiple uses and has a “wow” factor – maybe a daily water fun fact – users would download and engage with the app.