Through the iPad app, consumers can order any of the company’s standard cupcake flavors, the Mini of the Month or a cupcake of their creation. The app is available for free download in Apple’s App Store.

“The strategy here was to build a platform where we could not only deliver information to our customers but engage them on an interactive level as well,” said Ben Zion, cofounder of Baked by Melissa, New York.

Sweet tooth
The Baked by Melissa iPad app features a Cupcake Creator tab that lets consumers browse all of the company’s existing cakes, icings, toppings and stuffings to create a unique cupcake of their own, which they can also name.

Users can also post their cupcake to the Baked by Melissa public gallery, share it on Facebook with friends and family and buy the cupcakes for orders of 300 or more.

Consumers can browse the gallery via the app

Additionally, the app lets consumers create Cupcake Art where they are encouraged to choose from an assortment of 18 cupcakes, and arrange their cupcakes into a work of art.

“We find that a lot of customers use cupcakes to spell out a person’s name or initials, or arrange them into a number for a person’s birthday,” Mr. Zion said.

“Corporate clients will often use cupcakes to recreate their logo for an event,” he said. “Spread sizes vary from 100 cupcakes to 1200 cupcakes.”

Tablet only
Baked by Melissa decided to launch an app specifically for the iPad due to the nature of the Cupcake Creator and Cupcake Art apps.

“We felt it was more suitable for the iPad because of the bigger screen,” Mr. Zion said. “For our initial launch, we did not want to restrict them to a screen as small as an iPhone or Android device.

“We will be introducing an app for iPhone in the summer of 2012,” he said.

Baked by Melissa is getting the word out about its app through different channels including its newsletter, Web site and Facebook and Twitter.

“Mobile is the future,” Mr. Zion said. “Users are spending less and less time on their PCs and more time on their handhelds.

“We must adapt to this trend,” he said.

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York