Walgreens is unrolling a new wave of mobile offerings, including a collaboration with social competition application Challenged, an Apple Watch app with Pill and Refill Reminder features and the integration of its loyalty platform with Apple Pay.

Fans of beauty products will likely want to partake in the Walmart Beauty Challenge this season, which requires users of the Challenged app to aggregate their best summer beauty tips in a 12-second video using specified products carried at Walgreens stores. Health-conscious consumers may appreciate the pharmacy brand?s new Apple Watch app, as well as its rollout of the Balance Rewards program within Apple Pay this coming fall.

?We believe that providing our customers with a Walgreens Apple Watch app will help improve medication adherence,? said Kartik Subramanian, director of product and program management, mobile commerce, Walgreens, Deerfield, IL. ?Using the Walgreens Watch app's intuitive interface, our customers can easily check on their medication regimens and manage the same.

?In addition, our customers will also get relevant and timely notifications on their Watch app when their prescriptions are due for a refill. These features will make it even more convenient for our customers to engage with Walgreens digital services.?

Seamless social challenge
Consumers who download the Challenged app will find the Walgreens competition already available. Participants must use CIRCA Beauty or Nonie Creme Colour Prevails beauty items, both available at Walgreens, to create the 12-second video on helpful summer tips.

A member of the Walgreens social and content creative team, as well as a resident beauty expert, will judge the submissions based on use of required items, understandable steps to achieve the look and relevancy to summer.

?The Challenged App provides us a way to focus the conversation, while connecting customers with influencers, one another and the Walgreens brand,? said Adam Kmiec, senior director of mobile, social and content marketing, Walgreens. ?You could make the argument that everything social, is mobile.

?That belief is what makes the Challenged App a perfect way to inspire people to express themselves through their beauty tutorials,? he said. ?The summer brings about a desire to discover new looks, new products and new colors.

?But, what?s trending in California, may not be trending in New York. The content created via the Challenged App will eliminate geographical barriers and help inspire new creations.?

The final winner will receive a prize of assorted best-selling items from the two cosmetic lines. Consumers may upload their submissions from now through July 8, and follow along on social media via the #BeautyChallengeContest hashtag.

The Challenged app is free to download for iOS users, and allows consumers and brands to start their own social media competitions.

Walgreens claims that digital video is proving to be a valuable platform as well as a compelling method of storytelling. The Challenged collaboration is meant to employ a unique approach at connecting with a key audience and fuelling omnichannel conversions.

Apple enhancements
Meanwhile, Walgreens is ramping up its own mobile efforts with the introduction of a new Apple Watch app that ensures consumers take their medication as regulated, thanks to the Pill Reminder and Refill Reminder features.

While these are available within the mobile apps as well, the Walgreens Apple Watch app is one in few that addresses the issue of medical non-adherence and sends notifications to users? wrists when they are nearing the end of their prescription and when it is time to take a daily pill.

The Apple Watch app syncs with customers? Walgreens iPhone apps to monitor the medication intake.

?At the end of the day, helping our customers take their prescribed regimens is all about helping them live longer and more productive lives,? said Ben Weiss, mobile products manager, Walgreens. ?It's one of the greatest things we can do, and want to do for our patients.?

Additionally, the brand is integrating its Balance Rewards loyalty platform within mobile payment solution Apple Pay this fall. Consumers will no longer have to separately scan their Balance Rewards card when checking out, and instead may earn and redeem rewards points via Apple Pay.

They will also be able to view their current point balances. To enable the capability, users can add their digital Balance Rewards cards to the iOS 9 Wallet app.

?The goal of the Balance Rewards integration with Apple Pay is to reduce friction for our customers during the checkout process and make it even more convenient for them to transact in our stores,? Mr. Subramanian said.

?While we don't have any specific signup goals tied to this specific initiative, we expect this initiative to improve customer satisfaction and drive positive outcomes for the Balance Rewards program.?

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York