The intent of the app is to bring relevance to the overwhelming amount of choices the Freestyle machines offer. Instead of users experimenting with many drink options while standing at a machine with a queue behind them, they can explore and create mixing options ahead of time. The app capitalizes on the personal nature of each user's mobile device and extends that to the creation of highly personal mixes. Users can also share their mixes with their social networks to further increase discovery.

While the customization of content inside the app is not innovative, the application is. Using an app to connect to a soft drink fountain and pour a custom mix from a combination of curated drinks and then share that mix to a user’s social network in real-time was once unheard of.

The technology behind the connection between the app and the dispenser is simple, but it creates a highly personalized experience for users. When app holders approach a Freestyle dispenser, they connect to it using an app-side QR scanner. This handshake syncs with a server to authenticate the user and push their customized mixes to the display of the Freestyle dispenser. What was once a generic soda fountain is now personalized to each user to display their favorite drinks and mixes. This interaction is now available on all 19,000 Freestyle dispensers.

As mobile devices evolve, so will the functionality of the Freestyle dispenser and app. Next plans include allowing users to connect via BTLE with their phones or watches to reduce friction in the connection process. The Freestyle dispensers track every ounce of drinks poured, so we are working to leverage this information to bubble up trending mixes on a micro and macro level to drive mix discovery.

The scalability of the app is hardly a factor as the machines are already featured in thousands of restaurants worldwide. The long-term goal is that more and more locations begin to adopt the movement towards a more mobile environment before, during and after their in-store experience. The app makes it so that consumers now have a nearly innumerable amount of choices of beverages instead of the dozen or so that you see at most eateries.

With over one million downloads, the app has been well-received by both Android and iPhone users. Thousands of custom mixes and combinations have been created and poured by users, from users pouring and creating their own drinks and mixes, to users pouring mixes promoted by the brand itself on social media, to users pouring mixes created by social media celebrities. From May to December 2014, there were 84,434 connections by 20,864 users = 4 connections per user.

Several chains of restaurants have already adopted the technology, and most have reported increased guest counts and drink purchases which could also be related to the location finder built into the app to allow those interested in the machines to find them with greater ease.