Menchie’s Group Inc. operates 300 frozen-yogurt franchises in 18 countries. As if that weren’t enough, the Encino company now has an app that allows customers to build their own virtual store. Chief Executive Amit Kleinberger said Blue Goo Tel Aviv, an Israeli graphics and design studio, spent several months working on the game, part of the yogurt retailer’s push toward more engaged marketing. “By getting our brand into the homes of our customers, it gives us another way to connect,” he said. The Smile World game starts with a video in which a character called Menchie and his Sweet Friends fly to a town that has no smiles. The user then has to complete various levels of difficulty to open an outlet and bring smiles to the town. There are four different mini-games within the app, including Sudoku, connect-the-pipes and a dairy truck traffic jam game. The game currently offers no freebies for those who complete all levels, but Kleinberger said he plans to integrate the game into the company’s existing mySmileage loyalty program. The program gives customers “a smile” for every $1 they spend. At 50 smiles, they win a free cup of frozen yogurt. In the next update of the game, currently in development, users will be able to earn smiles that could lead to free frozen yogurt, as well as prizes such as apparel and a skateboard. Smile World is only available for Apple phones, but the company plans to release it for other platforms in the future. – Elliot Golan
Yogurt Chain Sprinkles App Into Mix
