Just as buying a gift card will treat a friend to a product or service on your behalf, the 'It's On Me' app works in the same way via a mobile device—without the need to fuss with any wrapping paper.
In order to send food and drink gifts, the app lets senders choose from a set list of curated establishments. Once sent, a recipient can instantly redeem the gift at the same place the gift was purchased from. Essentially, the app works in the same way as a gift card, but there is no plastic waste left behind and a much higher chance that the gift will be redeemed since a mobile device is involved.
So far, the It's On Me app is only available at participating food and drink partners in specific cities. However, this is still a handy way to send food and drink gifts to friends in New York City and Las Vegas, particularly when being there in person isn't possible.
Image Credit: Its on Me
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Digital Gifting
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop an app that allows users to send digital gift cards for various products and services.
- Contactless Redemption
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create a platform that enables recipients to redeem their gifts directly through their mobile devices at participating establishments.
- Location-based Gifting
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Build an app that enables users to send gifts specific to a particular city or region, expanding beyond food and drink to other local experiences.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Mobile Payment
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrate the functionality of social gifting apps into existing mobile payment platforms.
- Hospitality
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Collaborate with hotels, resorts, and travel companies to offer social gifting options for guests.
- E-commerce
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Partner with e-commerce platforms to enable users to send digital gift cards seamlessly through online shopping.
