Creating App-eal: Part 2 on Branded iPhone Apps

Posted by Dean Power on 12 July 2011 | 1 Comments

Tags: brand, iphone, app

I talked earlier this year about the increasing proliferation of branded iPhone apps, and how companies were seeking to extend their brand experiences through this now ubiquitous medium. But what is the difference between creating something ‘app-ealing’ that enhances brand equity and something ‘app-alling’ that just comes off as bandwagon-esque? How do we decide if an iPhone app is relevant to our customer’s brand experience.

The key it seems is functionality. Or at least the balance of the perceived ‘value’ of the iPhone app (regardless of whether it was a free or monetised purchase), with the quantity of brand promotion within the iPhone app itself. The value exchange with your customer is one of the most important aspects of developing brand equity.

Companies, eager to hop on board with an iPhone app, need to give careful consideration to what they want to convey to their audience and in fact, just who that audience is. Some research has shown Gen Y are some of the most prolific iPhone app users. They are highly media savvy, technological natives who expect a lot in the value exchange with their favourite brands. They show open disdain for blatant or thinly disguised promotion-only iPhone apps; such as Nike ID, ostensibly a slick shoe customisation platform which garnered harsh, brand damaging criticism on the iTunes app-store ratings wall for not allowing the end designed products to be actually ordered and purchased.

Contrast this with the experience of these users with successful iPhone apps such as Oakley Surf Report and Gibson Learn & Master Guitar app; these both offer well designed interfaces showcasing a high degree of usability that translates to a positive connection for each brand. Glee Karaoke is another iPhone app through which, producers leverage the astounding popularity of the US show. This eminently suitable technology-meets-enertainment application, offers true value to it’s users that builds brand equity. It also dovetails with the recent success of console games such as ‘Sing-Star’ and ‘Guitar Hero’ (boasting a brand building iPhone app of it’s own).

It’s arguably the mismatch between Gen Y’s expectations in relation to iPhone apps and those of (often Baby-Boomer) head-marketers, that exposes the generation gap in a new way. Up until recently, these marketers might have previously viewed the iPhone app as a limited product or brand experience ‘sample’, whereas Gen Y consumers want a high degree of personalisation and deep functionality before they will trust your brand in this environment. It also demonstrates the evolving nature of the more intimate, direct (and demanding) ways that consumers are engaging with brands and branded experiences.