Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. has rolled out two new iPad applications and one iPhone app to cater to new and existing readers who want recipes ideas this summer. 

The apps include special tablet versions of the brand, such as Whole Living and Everyday Food magazines, as well as the Martha Stewart Cocktails app. All three are available in Apple's App Store.

?Much like magazines and Web sites where people tend to use each platforms for different purposes, at MSLO we?re creating apps that serve different types of consumers,? said Missy Foristall, senior vice president of digital programming and strategy at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, New York.

?The running theme in all of our apps is what Martha has built her brand upon?education and turning a seemingly difficult task into something easy to do,? she said.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia publishes four magazines, including the flagship publication Martha Stewart Living.

Cocktail time
?With our monthly magazine apps for Martha Stewart Living and Everyday Food for iPad, we?re creating a digital version of our magazine with interactive features available only on that platform, for the leisurely reader who wants to take their time and discover something new,? Ms. Foristall said.

?The utility apps, including Martha Stewart Makes Cookies, Martha Stewart Cocktails, Whole Living Smoothies, and Egg Dyeing 101 from Martha Stewart Living are focused on evergreen topics like recipes, cocktails and smoothies,? she said.

Each app offers content from a specific area of the Martha Stewart brand.

In the Martha Stewart Cocktail App, users can buy five themed-bundled pieces of content that includes recipes and bar snacks.

To app also lets users swipe through a virtual bar, access how-to videos, store favorite recipes and share content through email, Facebook or Twitter.

The Whole Living Smoothies App includes three free chunks of themed smoothie recipes as well as two paid pieces of additional recipes and content.

Users can also browse nutritional information and a glossary of smoothie ingredients.

The Everyday Food app is an updated version of the magazine?s original app and includes access to archived recipes and games. Users can also watch how-to videos that explain basic culinary techniques and exclusive daily articles from the Everyday Food editors.

All three apps offer users a chance to engage with both content from the print magazine as well as evergreen, mobile-only content.

Building a brand
The new wave of apps is the publishing company?s attempt to bring in new consumers while also creating engaging content for the magazine?s readers.

Additionally, the apps are integrating advertising elements to them. Similar to the print magazine, the Everyday Food app includes several advertisers, including Ghirardelli Chocolate.

?The strategy behind the development of our apps is to bring that timeless content to new platforms and ultimately new consumers,? Ms. Foristall said.

?The goal is to create a high-quality interactive experience centered on those topics that will have users returning to the apps to discover new content and share their favorite recipes with friends and family,? she said.

Martha Stewart Living has also experimented with in-app purchasing features on mobile platforms for additional content, which includes the extra features on both the Martha Stewart Cocktail app and the Whole Living Smoothie app.

The company sees mobile as only one of the platforms to draw in users, and they are tying it into already existing media and are interested in seeing how the publishing world will change with mobile technology.

?We know that consumers come to the Martha Stewart brand via all platforms ? whether it?s her television show, her radio show, our magazines, the sites or mobile ? to look for recipes and ideas they know they can trust,? Ms. Foristall said.

?Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia sees tablets and mobile technology as an opportunity to extend the print brands, allowing consumers to access content on multiple platforms,? she said.

?It will be interesting to see how the rules on subscriptions help to shape the marketplace. The theory behind it is that if we had a sub-based model, more people would sign up for content on a more frequent basis.?