The curious case of branded apps
Mobile apps have officially exploded. Stumble into any of the appstores and you are greeted with literally millions of apps that you can download on your smartphones. The reason is simple, in a world of constant mobility and interactivity, both smartphone and app markets have gone stratospheric.
As of today, there are approximately 1.5 million apps on each of the two major app stores, iOS and Google Play store. Moreover, each app store sees an average 1000 apps added to their store every day.
When the market is so crowded and competitive, it’s important for most non-digital brands to rethink their mobile app strategy. We are more than a couple of years ahead of the time when it was ‘cool’ for a brand to have a mobile app on the app stores, not anymore. While apps offer an incredible opportunity for brands to connect with customers on their devices and even offline, 90 per cent of the branded apps have less than ten thousand installs. Most brands are struggling to get enough downloads to their mobile apps to create the ‘customer engagement’ that was once promised.
Don’t believe me? We’ll do a quick litmus test. According to IPSOS CT, an average smartphone in Singapore has over 37 apps out of which only 11 are used at least once a month. That means, on an average we have at least 26 apps lying in our phones which have not even been opened once in the last one month.
Now scan through all the apps on your smartphone, even the ones which you have never opened. How many brand apps do you see? None, if you don’t count the e-commerce apps, and if you have one, then there is a very good chance that it belongs to the company you work for.
However, there are some traditional brands that have not only created great mobile experiences but also harnessed mobile into their business ecosystem. Below are some of my personal favourites:
Starbucks – The Starbucks app with a super handy payment option and features like locate the nearest Starbucks, pay for drinks, send gift cards, collect and spend bonuses, reload Starbucks card and even tip the barista is a definite superstar in the branded apps space.
Nike + – Used by more than 30 million users, this app is used by runners to track their runs anywhere, on treadmills, roads, or trails. The app tracks your pace, time and distance via GPS. In addition, it also includes social media integration where runners can share their routes, track progress and even invite their friends for a running challenge.
Walmart – The supermarket giant has really come off age with their mobile app. Some of the features include creating a shopping list, controlling the total purchase amount and showing a list of current sales and promotional campaigns. However, the hero feature that really enhances the customers’ experience is that the app can be used for navigation inside the store and price recognition via built-in scanners.
Besides the examples cited above, other successful case studies are Trailhead (North Face), Coca-Cola Freestyle and other ones closer to home are Pacman Returns (Unilever Malaysia) and the Wellness App (Nestle Philippines).
There are also some brands which have taken an alternate route and have been able to implement it very successfully by partnering with existing mobile apps which already have a user base and a following. This model has been extremely successful in China with mega apps like WeChat partnering with everyone from fashion brands, supermarkets to taxi companies, lottery outlets to even the Chinese embassy for renewing visas. The right synergy with the right partner has proven to be a very effective mobile strategy for brands.
Every successful brand on mobile uses different approaches to engage mobile consumers. While there is no definitive formula to make a successful branded app, a good app is most likely a simple one with a clear objective, a clean user interface and a thorough understanding of their target audience. Besides, the other key aspect for branded apps is the social element which is to able create an environment for users to share and discuss brand-related topics. Be interested in whatever your consumers are passionate about and you will find the right way to engage them.
While mobile develops into the chief channel of media consumption for users, brands would need to up their game on mobile by innovating in the mobile development space and by finding opportunities between their brand value and mobility in its core essence. The execution has to be thought through or they might end up seeming like being on a ‘me too’ bandwagon. And trust me there are a lot of such wannabe’s floating around aimlessly on the app stores.
