Edible Apple

Information Week writes:

Taco Bell and KFC are weathering the recession, since cash-crunched consumers can pick up a meal for less than $5. But Pizza Hut — Yum! Brand’s other big restaurant business–is a pricey problem. And that’s where a new iPhone application could make a difference.The Pizza Hut online meal-ordering app has been downloaded more than 150,000 times since it became available July 15. Pizza Hut hopes to increase the average daily downloads 20 percent by year’s end, said Bob Kraut, VP of marketing communications, in an interview.

And while Pizza Hut doesn’t yet have solid numbers on how often people are using the app, it’s achieved an important milestone: Reaching 150,000 consumers with the financial means to own an iPhone, and spend a bit more on dinner.

And another key factor is that these iPhone users are already in the fast food wheelhouse.  I mean, if someone downloads a Pizza Hut app, the odds are that they like Pizza Hut and are intent on using the app.  Pizza Hut apparently considers the iPhone important enough in its marketing strategy that it’s started advertising its iPhone app at the end of its nationally televised commercials.

Other factors that impacted Pizza Hut’s choice of the iPhone for its mobile platform include the generally high rate of e-commerce purchases made from iPhones; its unique viewing and touch capabilities; and the tendency of proud iPhone users to show off their apps to friends. The Pizza Hut app is currently ranked No. 2 in free app downloads in the Lifestyle category at iTunes.

Call me crazy, but I somehow doubt that any BlackBerry users would use their device to order Pizza even if it were easy to do.  What makes the iPhone so attractive to developers is that iPhone users are engaged users, and not only do they download more apps on average than the users of other smartphones, but they also use downloaded apps at a far greater frequency.

You can check out the full article, along with information about apps from Whole Foods and Kraft, over here.