Picky and the Dagelijkse Kost mobile app

What's for dinner tonight?

Nearly everyone knows the frustration of aimlessly wandering through the supermarket or flipping through recipe books, in search for a healthy, delicious, or new recipe for dinner. The answer to the question 'What's for dinner tonight?' is increasingly searched for on smartphones rather than desktops.

The VRT 1 programme Dagelijkse Kost, with an average of 750,000 monthly website visitors, observes that 68% of users turn to smartphones or tablets for inspiration, recipes, and cooking tips. To adapt to the changing online media habits of their community, Dagelijkse Kost decided to invest in a quality mobile app.

The solution: Picky, the Tinder for dinner

For this app, VRT collaborates with the media and marketing agency Hotel Hungaria and the young start-up Picky, which handles the technical aspects of the app. This partnership was facilitated through VRT Sandbox, the VRT initiative that screens, coaches, tests, and finances start-ups.

The Ghent-based startup, Picky, allows users to explore dishes by swiping. If recipes are swiped to the right, it's a like, and the recipe lands in the personal collection. This way, the app helps to create your own digital taste DNA. Couples, friends, or housemates can also invite each other in the app to swipe together. If they both like the same recipe, it's a match, and they can schedule or save the recipe for later.

The case

The mobile app from Dagelijkse Kost is the outcome of a long-term collaboration among three parties. The technology from start-up Picky, the storytelling expertise from production house Hotel Hungaria, and the audience-driven approach of VRT were combined to launch the app successfully.

This venture track unfolded as follows:

1. Meeting Phase: Picky presented their platform, explored its features and discussed potential collaboration opportunities.

2. Preliminary Investigation Phase: VRT examined the feasibility of Picky's platform thoroughly. An analysis was conducted to determine whether Picky was the ideal partner for the project. This phase concluded with the creation of a business case and the issuance of a letter of intent.

3. Negotiation Phase: Collaborative possibilities were deliberated and the input of all parties was carefully considered during negotiations.

4. Preparation Launch & Legal Phase: The platform's branding underwent adjustments to align with VRT's standards. Technology was implemented and rigorously tested to ensure compatibility with VRT's high-tech and security requirements. A comprehensive marketing and content plan was also formulated in preparation for the launch.

The results

Since its launch, the app quickly became the number 1 'Food and drinks'-app in Belgium.

• Number of swipes in the app: 17 million (Feb 2024)

• Number of installations: 170,000 (Feb 2024)

The success of this case will aid Flemish start-up Picky to grow internationally.