Starbucks and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) are expanding their long-running Pick of the Week promotional campaign to iPhone applications, enabling consumers to download full-featured versions of premium iOS apps for free. First up: The popular music identification and discovery solution Shazam Encore, which retails at $5.99 in Apple's App Store. Consumers who enter their local Starbucks location may pick up a free Pick of the Week card containing a promotional code to download the Shazam app to their iOS device.

According to CNet, Starbucks declined to comment on the new app promotion and did not specify whether it replaces or simply joins the existing Pick of the Week effort. Starbucks and Apple first launched Pick of the Week in April 2008, offering free downloads of selected iTunes tracks, with an emphasis on new and emerging recording artists. The digital media partnership between the coffeehouse chain and the computing giant dates back to 2007, when Apple introduced a special Starbucks music section in iTunes.
Starbucks' own iPhone application enables users to pay for Starbucks purchases from their iOS device, manage and reload their card account, track rewards, identify nearby store locations, access food and nutrition data and scan QR codes to access promotions. Earlier this summer, the company added its Starbucks Card eGift feature to the app, enabling consumers to treat friends and family to beverages, food or merchandise directly via mobile device. Starbucks for iPhone users can send gifts valued between $5 and $100 to anyone on their Facebook friends list, complete with personalized messages--recipients can redeem the gift at participating company-owned and licensed Starbucks stores across the U.S., or on the web at starbucksstore.com.

Late last year, Starbucks rolled out an in-store multimedia platform across its 6,800 U.S. company-operated locations--optimized for all Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones, tablets and laptop devices including Apple's iPhone and iPad, the Starbucks Digital Network touts free, handpicked content available exclusively within the confines of Starbucks stores, promising snackable entertainment and news experiences tailored for consumer visits spanning anywhere from a few minutes to an hour. 

Source - [ fiercemobilecontent.com ]