AUDIENCE(51)

3. See Tumblr’s “About” page, www.tumblr.com/about. Charlie Rose, “Charlie Rose Talks to Tumblr’s David Karp,” Bloomberg Businessweek, May 30, 2013, www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-05-30/charlie-rose-talks-to-tumblrs-david-karp.

4. Tristan Louis, “Is Tumblr The Next Geocities?,” Forbes, May 18, 2013, www.forbes.com/sites/tristanlouis/2013/05/18/is-tumblr-the-new-geocities/.





Chapter 13


Mobile Apps: Audiences on the Go


We are witnessing a seismic change in consumer behavior. That change is being brought about by technology and the access people have to information.1

—Howard Schultz

As CEO of Starbucks (@Starbucks), Howard Schultz is busy evolving his business to accommodate the seismic changes introduced by mobile Internet-powered consumers. He is not alone. Fueled by the great migration of global consumers from “dumbphones” to Internet-enabled smartphones, marketers are busy filling whiteboards with ideas for mobile apps. Perhaps they’ll be inspired by . . .

Chase Bank (@Chase), whose app lets CUSTOMERS scan and deposit checks any place, any time

HBO GO (@HBOGO), whose app lets SUBSCRIBERS stream HBO’s entire content library on their desktop and mobile devices

Nike Fuel Band (@NikeFuel), whose app syncs with CUSTOMER Fuel Bands to track and share workout accomplishments with friends

Starbucks (@Starbucks), whose app enables CUSTOMERS’ mobile app payments that account for well over 10 percent of its U.S. transactions2

The Walking Dead (@WalkingDead_AMC), whose Dead Yourself app lets FANS become AMPLIFIERS by creating and sharing personalized zombie photos that keep the show front of mind—even in the off-season

Walgreens (@Walgreens), whose mobile app lets CUSTOMERS scan-to-reorder prescriptions and order Instagram photo prints

Weber Grills (@WeberGrills), whose app builds CUSTOMER loyalty through free recipes, tutorials, and advice on selecting cuts of meat



Whatever the inspiration, the key question you must ask when developing your company’s mobile app strategy is this: Why?





Answering the Why


You might assume that any company would answer this fundamental question before building a mobile app. Unfortunately, far too many companies build apps first, then determine the market demand later. This approach has the potential to waste precious marketing resources on an initiative that may amount to nothing more than a vanity project instead of a useful part of your Proprietary Audience Development efforts.

So what are some good reasons to develop a mobile app? How about:

To engage AMPLIFIER/FANS with content that entertains and informs

To provide on-demand viewing to CUSTOMERS far beyond what you can via traditional cable

To provide secure and offline account access to CUSTOMERS

To communicate with SUBSCRIBERS via push and in-app messaging

To turn CUSTOMERS into AMPLIFIER/FANS

To better serve existing CUSTOMERS with tools a mobile-optimized website cannot provide

To increase CUSTOMER loyalty while also turning some SEEKERS into AMPLIFIERS and/or CUSTOMERS



The best mobile apps tend to share some common features:

1. They provide a value or service to consumers that a mobile website cannot serve.

2. The companies that build them have already optimized their websites for mobile to ensure they provide essential information and online services to SEEKERS and CUSTOMERS who do not have mobile devices.

3. The companies that build them promote their apps via Paid, Owned, and Earned Media to prospective SUBSCRIBERS.a



If your app does nothing more than your website, isn’t optimized for mobile or can’t be promoted effectively to its target audience, you may be well advised to invest your marketing dollars elsewhere. If, however, your app meets these criteria, then you need to build it for long-term success—and that means cooking in a Proprietary Audience Development strategy.





Build Mobile App SUBSCRIBERS


The first thing any mobile app needs is a base of SUBSCRIBERS. This requires you to “market your marketing.” It is not enough to distribute your app via the various app stores. You must promote its existence and value to your CUSTOMERS and PROSPECTS at every turn—which you do through your Paid, Owned, and Earned Media and by leveraging your proprietary audiences like SUBSCRIBERS, FANS, and FOLLOWERS. You also do this because there’s a lot of competition for attention from mobile app users. Consider:

The average U.S. smartphone user has over 7 communications apps and 40 total apps installed.

Those same users spend 87 minutes per weekday (Monday–Thursday) and 163 minutes each weekend day (Friday–Sunday) using apps.3



Vegas.com (@VegasCom) is a great example of a brand that understands their responsibility to market their mobile app. They use their Facebook Timeline cover photo to promote their app to FANS—a smart tactic, considering many FANS use Facebook to share vacation ideas, experiences, and photos. See Figure 13.1.