Walgreens recently announced a contest to be held for developers to encourage integration of the API for its Balance Rewards program. The competition will see third-party app developers vying for the top spots in integrated app creation.
Through integrated applications, the Walgreens Balance Rewards program API allows consumers to generate loyalty program points for making healthy life decisions. Points accrued can be cashed in for in-store merchandise or online purchases.
The competition will last until November 28, and contest winners will be announced at the mHealth Summit 2014 in Washington D.C., December 7-11 during the Walgreens conference session. Three top winners will be announced, in the following categories:
- Walgreens Best Overall App Integration Award: The winner of this prize will take home $7,000 for quality of app integration with the Balance Rewards API, and overall positive impact on customers to live better lives.
- Henry Ford Health System Patient Engagement Award: This award focuses on the ability of the app to improve ease of chronic condition management, and the winner will take home $3,000.
- People’s Choice for Best App Integration Award: This award given to the app that best impacts app customers to live a healthy lifestyle, will be voted on by peers. The winner of this award will walk home with $3,000.
Two years ago, Walgreens unveiled its QuickPrints API, allowing smartphone users to send pictures from photo apps to Walgreens for printing. This proved to be a substantial boon to its then struggling photo-printing business. The company’s digital print revenue rose from 1% to 40% in its transition to mobile from 2012 to 2014.
“Through our API developer program,” Abhi Dhar, group vice president and chief technology officer, Digital, at Walgreens, said in a release, “we’re able to extend our loyalty program into the digital ecosystem, ultimately reaching more consumers and rewarding them for their healthy activities. By developing more API offerings, we’re continuing to invest in developer relationships and see the value they deliver.”
Other wellness apps that have integrated with the Balance Rewards API are GenieMD, HoMedics, LifeTrak, Lose It!, Misfit, Nudge, Omron Fitness, and RunKeeper.