Sep
16th

The Marketing Power of Mobile Apps

Posted by Chip Rice on September 16, 2009 at 1:14 pm

By now everyone’s familiar with Apple’s “we’ve got an app for that” campaign. You want to know who sings that song that you keep hearing – they’ve got an app for that. You’re looking for a great place to get sushi – they’ve got an app for that. Well, what if you want to build your brand? Is there an app for that?

It’s all too easy to think about mobile apps as mindless entertainment. After all, there are so many fun apps that provide little more than that. And there’s nothing wrong with this. I’ve even blogged about many of them right here. iBeer comes to mind for one, the Zippo lighter is another. And I don’t care to know how much time I’ve spent (wasted) playing Stick Wars.

But there are many practical uses for apps. I personally have, and regularly use, several different apps to help me retrieve sports scores, get the latest news, access my social profiles, get directions, etc.

Steve Mutinda by whiteafrican

When thinking about creating an app for your brand, it’s important to think about this kind of practicality. You should try to resist the rush to get something into the App Store that doesn’t serve a purpose for your audience.

So how do you get practical with a branded app? It’s simple. Just think about what your customer base is really interested in and/or could benefit from as it relates to your business, your product or your industry. For instance my Weather Channel app tells me the local weather forecast. OK, so you’re saying it’s easy for them, and you’re right. But don’t let that discourage you. It really is that simple a lot of the time – you just have to get creative.

A great example is the new Disney World app, which allows patrons to report and check current wait times for various park attractions. Another is the Kraft iFood Assistant. This app has allowed users to access recipes and create shopping lists for a while now, but just this year it added a new “Budget Wise” section. Perfect timing as more and more people are looking to tighten their belts (no pun intended).

A well designed mobile app can prove to be a very effective marketing tool for your brand. The key is to think about what your users could really use and then create something that doesn’t just carry your logo, but also has real world practicality. There should be a reason for people to not just download it, but to continue to use it over time.

So what are you waiting for? Get creative and start thinking of a mobile app that can help build your brand. And if you need help, contact Oneupweb. We’re a registered iPhone developer.

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May
27th

Mobile Takes the World by Storm

Posted by Chip Rice on May 27, 2009 at 12:57 pm

It’s been a couple of months since my last mobile update and a lot has happened in that time — both within the mobile space as well as in terms of my own personal mobile experience.

That’s right, since my last update I’ve purchased a new Blackberry Storm AND a new iPhone 3G.

Having taken a dive into the deep end of advanced mobile experiences, I’ve managed to renew my awe of this space and am motivated to pull together another post on the topic.

So without any further ado, let’s get right into it.

Mobile Devices

The last couple of weeks have brought a few mobile device-related items that are worth mentioning.

The much anticipated Palm Pre is officially being released, finally. After much anticipation, Sprint announced both a definitive launch date (June 6th) as well as pricing information ($200 after mail in rebate) for the latest aspiring “iPhone killer”.

Despite the fact that Nokia has not officially gone on the record about this, there is talk about a new program that would allow companies to brand Nokia mobile devices by wrapping them in their logos or custom images and pre-loading them with branded multimedia content. The cost of these branded Nokia devices would be offset by the corporate sponsorship for the user, and would offer a new, unique mobile marketing opportunity for the brands involved.

Mobile Apps

Now there’s no way I’m getting through my first mobile post after purchasing a Storm and an iPhone without talking about some apps.

Nokia Ovi Store — hoping to follow the success of Apple’s App Store, Nokia launched their own version this week. Since apps are critical to successfully gaining market share in this space, this is a positive step for Nokia (though they have a very long way to go to reach the level of Apple’s App Store).

SkyMap — Google released a new Android App at this month’s Searchology event called Sky Map, which turns any Android-based phone into a virtual guide to the galaxies. This is one app that I very much hope gets released for the iPhone soon.

Product Search — also from Google and also for Android, the Product Search app is now capable of scanning the barcode of a product. Using the built in camera of your mobile device, comparison shopping has never been easier.

Elvis has NOT left the building – a new iPhone app called Elvis Mobile was also released this month. It allows Elvis fans to view images and videos released by Graceland, listen to podcasts from Elvis Radio and even report Elvis sightings from around the world.

Well, that’s probably enough to chew on for today. As always, please feel free to add your favorite mobile highlights to the mix by commenting — and stay tuned for your next monthly mobile installment.

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Mar
30th

Mobile Apps Marketing Opportunities

Posted by Chip Rice on March 30, 2009 at 1:45 pm

From time to time I attempt to cover some of the more interesting happenings in the mobile space. From cool new apps and the latest devices to mobile marketing opportunities, if it’s mobile and interesting, it’s fair game.

What’s struck my interest this month isn’t a flashy new device or the greatest app I’ve ever seen, but rather the sheer growth in this space and the companies that are attempting to cut through the clutter to get their brands integrated into this new user experience.

App Store Boom:
Despite the economic slowdown, which has caught up to almost all areas of business, app stores are booming. In fact a recent In-Stat report projects that app store usage will quadruple over the next 5 years, reaching a total of 100 million users by 2014.

This isn’t surprising as Apple’s app store now offers more than 25,000 apps and has seen over 800 million downloads since launching last year. And while the iPhone has certainly established Apple as a leader in this market, more and more mobile devices support applications, and several companies have either launched their own app stores or have plans to do so.

Google’s Android marketplace has been in operation since the release of the T-Mobile G1, and there are plans for app stores specific to BlackBerry devices, Windows Mobile, Palm webOS and the Nokia S40 and S60 phones very soon.

Mobile App Marketing:
The rapidly growing landscape of mobile apps has caused many companies to stand up and take notice of the marketing potential that this new medium holds.

Target’s Gift Globe
Take Target, who over this past holiday buying season released an app to help users find gift ideas for those hard to shop for people on their list – and of course help them buy said gifts through Target.com.

When a user shakes their iPhone, the screen clouds up with swirling snowflakes similar to a snow globe. When the snow settles, a gift idea is revealed. The user can then click on the gift to purchase it directly through Target.com, or shake again for a new idea.

Sit or Squat
Proctor and Gamble’s Charmin brand has sponsored Sit or Squat which aims at connecting people with nearby public restrooms along with user generated ratings, which let you know if the facility is suitable for sitting, squatting or even standing – all accessible through the iPhone or BlackBerry devices.

Spin the Coke
In an attempt to appeal to the youth market, something which they’ve successfully done for decades, Coke has released a “spin the Coke” app. Just as it sounds, this app allows you to play spin the (Coke) bottle on your iPhone. Young love, beware!

While you may not see the redeeming value of all these apps (and you won’t have to look very far to find many gripes about each of their shortcomings), all of these companies have recognized the growing popularity of mobile apps – making an effort to get their brands integrated into this growing landscape.

For that, I commend them.

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Jan
23rd

Top-8 Mobile Applications of 2008

Posted by Chip Rice on January 23, 2009 at 10:09 am

As another year gets underway (wait, it’s almost February already!) I can’t help but reflect back on 2008 and all the innovations that were introduced to the mobile world.

I also can’t help but feel that 2009 absolutely needs to be the year that I update my cell phone so that I can start taking advantage of some of the very cool applications and services that have hit the market, which unfortunately just aren’t supported by my mobile device.

What are these developments that have Chip craving a flashy new mobile so badly you ask?

Well let’s take a moment to run through the top-8 mobile applications of 2008.

Image: Cell Phone of the Future by evisibility

SlyDial
One of my favorites from this past year, SlyDial is a mobile application that allows you to call people on the “sly” by dialing directly into their voicemail. Perfect for when you’d prefer to leave a quick message about something but would prefer to avoid getting involved in a conversation. Best of all the recipient of your call will probably just think their phone is acting up as your call never rang through.

Instapaper
Giving you control over when and where you access content, Instapaper is a great little app that lets you send articles that you find online directly to your iPhone so you can access them whenever you find yourself with a little extra time, and your iPhone of course.

Google Mobile App
Google’s updated Mobile App deserves recognition for a couple of developments this year, including bringing voice search capabilities and a mobile version of Google Maps to the iPhone.

ShopSavvy
The T-Mobile G1 has a comparison shopping app called ShopSavvy which allows the user to compare prices for a product at a variety of on and off line retailers by simply capturing the barcode with the built in camera.

SaveBenjis
The iPhone’s version of the comparison shopping app might not have the ability to capture barcode information but does do a good job of allowing users to search product prices on many ecommerce sites via their iPhone.

StoreXperience
Similar to ShopSavvy and SaveBenjis, StoreXperience allows consumers to search for and compare product prices. In addition, StoreXperience provides users with detailed product information that could aid in purchasing decisions. StoreXperience also enables retailers to offer on-the-spot discounts and promotions to users who are already in the store and/or neighborhood.

Remote
Bringing us closer and closer to a world where one singular device handles everything for us, Apple’s Remote app allows you to use your iPhone as a remote for iTunes, Apple TV and AirTunes. The best thing about this app is that the idea is already spreading across other paid apps that incorporate this feature into other A/V devices.

Moodio!
Moodio is a free service that allows you to access internet radio stations from your mobile device. They currently offer a fairly robust list of station options and you have the ability to add stations yourself if your favorite internet broadcaster happens to be absent.

Speaking of adding your own favorites when they happen to be absent, if I skipped over your favorite mobile update of 2008, do leave a comment.

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Dec
29th

Oneupweb Reviews : iPhone Apps

Posted by Chip Rice on December 29, 2008 at 4:37 pm

As another year of mobile updates draws to a close and there’s so much innovation to reflect on, I can’t think of a better way to wrap up the year than by highlighting the undeniable leader in mobile applications, the iPhone.

With countless iPhone apps hitting the market there’s no shortage of things to talk about. So let’s just get right into a sampling of some of my personal favorites.

Midomi
You’ve certainly heard of the Shazam app by now, well Midomi takes this idea a step further by allowing you to identify songs by singing or even humming them yourself. It still works from the radio like Shazam but it will also help when you’re wondering “what’s that song that goes like…”?

Remote
More than just fun, Remote is a very useful app that allows you to use your iPhone as a remote for iTunes, Apple TV and AirTunes. A good friend of mine has his computer hooked up through his home stereo which suddenly makes this app very cool.

SaveBenjis
An app designed to help with comparison shopping, SaveBenjis allows you to search many ecommerce sites for the best price on the product of your desire.

Pandora Radio
Since Pandora Radio is one of my favorites things on my laptop, I’d be remiss not to mention the Pandora app which allows you to use the music service from your iPhone.

ShoZu
ShoZu connects your iPhone (as well as other mobile devices) to several online services allowing you to take photos with the built in camera and easily upload them directly to Facebook, your blog, Flickr and more.

Jott
As someone that quickly fell in love with the convenience of the voice recording feature of my first cell phone, I couldn’t overlook Jott. Since this is the iPhone that we’re talking about, the Jott app takes this idea a step further by transcribing your voice memos into text for future reference.

Native Podcast
Despite the fact that Apple has barred Native Podcast from its App Store, stating that it duplicated the functionality of iTunes, I feel that it deserves mention here. This app allows you to subscribe, manage, stream and download podcasts directly to your iPhone. However you will need to jailbreak your device and purchase the app directly from creator in order to start enjoying this service.

Instapaper
Have you ever run across an article or a blog that interested you but you just didn’t have the time to read it right them? Do you typically bookmark these and hope that you remember to come back and read them when you have time? But when you finally have the time it seems like you’re not in a place to conveniently access it, or you don’t remember it at all.

Enter Instapaper. This app lets you send articles that you find online directly to your iPhone so you can access them whenever you find yourself with a little time and your iPhone.

Fliq
Talk about social networking made easy, Fliq allows you to quickly send photos or contacts to friends, family or colleagues on the same Wi-Fi network with practically the flick of a finger.

iBeer
Let’s not make all of these apps useful. Among the host of optical illusion related apps coming out for the iPhone, my personal favorite has to be iBeer. Working with the sensors on the iPhone, this app looks and acts like a real glass of beer. And best of all, its sole purpose is to entertain.

Of course I can’t touch on every cool iPhone app so if I’ve left out one of your favorites feel free to give it some props in a comment.

Editor’s Note: You can read more Oneupweb Reviews on StraightUpSearch, social media-related reviews on our sister blog StraightUpSocial, and product-focused Oneupweb Reviews on Epinions.

Image: Sweet Sweet iPhone by Miss Karen

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