It seems like everyone with an iPhone just loves the apps that
are available for download. In fact, iPhone has become a major player in
the cell phone market partly because of its apps, applications that the
user can buy or download for free. These applications can be for
anything, from an app that runs Yahoo! Mail on your phone to apps that
guide you through your own exercise program. Considering the impressive
growth in popularity of apps in the last couple of years, it is not
surprising that every marketer and advertiser is eager to jump onto the
bandwagon.
Releasing
apps with brand names incorporated in them has become quite the rage
for business owners today. But relying only on the popularity of apps to
get a business's brand name out there is akin to committing
professional hara-kiri. "The App Store is not a marketing vehicle; it is
a distribution vehicle," says Raven Zachary, president of digital
creative firm Small Society, in an article in AdAge magazine.
Keep in mind that the iPhone has almost 48,000 applications, a figure that is steadily increasing. As a result, if you just create an app and let it sit in the application store, the chances of it getting discovered are slim to none. Therefore, not only do you have to extensively promote your app, you also have to create one that is completely different from what is already out there. Otherwise, consumers will have absolutely no reason to choose yours from the others. And since developing an app costs quite a bit in terms of time and money, you have to be absolutely sure of your idea before you decide to invest in it.
"Mobile applications (specifically an iPhone app) aren't for every brand," said Neil Strother, an analyst at Forrester Research, said in an article on Mobile Marketer. "You need to understand your customers and how they use mobile devices and services, and ask whether you can provide something of value via a mobile application."
It is also important to find out whether your target audience even uses an iPhone. According to a survey conducted by Solutions Research Group, the average age of buyers willing to spend for an iPhone is 31 years. Out of these, the percentage of males interested in buying an iPhone is 72 percent as compared to 28 percent females. T-Mobile subscribers are more likely to get an iPhone while Verizon subscribers are the least likely.
If the people who are at the receiving end of your app prefer using BlackBerrys or other smart phones, then you will be better off creating apps for those phones. In a research report written by Strother, he cites an incident that clearly illustrates the above point. "One mobile developer described an early meeting with brand managers who asked him to develop an iPhone app: He noticed numerous older smartphones in the room but no one with an iPhone," the report says. "Bad start. Marketers need to fully engage with these devices to gain a knowledge advantage."
Don't let this discourage you. Apps are like any other advertising medium and an upcoming one at that. If your product was a deodorant for men, you would not focus your advertising exclusively in Better Homes and Gardens. Likewise, if your target market does not use iPhones, there is no point in wasting time and money developing an app for iPhones. Since they are a fairly recent medium, apps need to be researched exhaustively if they are to be successful for your business.
Keep in mind that the iPhone has almost 48,000 applications, a figure that is steadily increasing. As a result, if you just create an app and let it sit in the application store, the chances of it getting discovered are slim to none. Therefore, not only do you have to extensively promote your app, you also have to create one that is completely different from what is already out there. Otherwise, consumers will have absolutely no reason to choose yours from the others. And since developing an app costs quite a bit in terms of time and money, you have to be absolutely sure of your idea before you decide to invest in it.
"Mobile applications (specifically an iPhone app) aren't for every brand," said Neil Strother, an analyst at Forrester Research, said in an article on Mobile Marketer. "You need to understand your customers and how they use mobile devices and services, and ask whether you can provide something of value via a mobile application."
It is also important to find out whether your target audience even uses an iPhone. According to a survey conducted by Solutions Research Group, the average age of buyers willing to spend for an iPhone is 31 years. Out of these, the percentage of males interested in buying an iPhone is 72 percent as compared to 28 percent females. T-Mobile subscribers are more likely to get an iPhone while Verizon subscribers are the least likely.
If the people who are at the receiving end of your app prefer using BlackBerrys or other smart phones, then you will be better off creating apps for those phones. In a research report written by Strother, he cites an incident that clearly illustrates the above point. "One mobile developer described an early meeting with brand managers who asked him to develop an iPhone app: He noticed numerous older smartphones in the room but no one with an iPhone," the report says. "Bad start. Marketers need to fully engage with these devices to gain a knowledge advantage."
Don't let this discourage you. Apps are like any other advertising medium and an upcoming one at that. If your product was a deodorant for men, you would not focus your advertising exclusively in Better Homes and Gardens. Likewise, if your target market does not use iPhones, there is no point in wasting time and money developing an app for iPhones. Since they are a fairly recent medium, apps need to be researched exhaustively if they are to be successful for your business.
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