360i Report on Mobile Applications

Up next in our summer mobile series (this is our fifth installment) is a report on mobile applications.

Applications have become an enduring form of mobile media, thanks in large part to the ease of buying apps from Apple’s App Store and the increasing usage of apps on Google Android handsets. With apps’ popularity come new challenges for marketers, as consumers’ attention is split between apps and the mobile web. Marketers will have to prioritize and make tough decisions when allocating finite resources. You can learn more about the challenges and opportunities by reading or downloading the full report below.

360i POV on Mobile Applications

Key Takeaways

• Mobile app usage is on the rise. One of the biggest drivers of app usage is smartphone penetration. In fact, by late 2011, roughly half of all US mobile subscribers will use smartphones (source: Nielsen).  Other studies from AdMob have found that consumers spend about 80 minutes a day engaging with apps.
• How can marketers get involved? Marketers have three primary options when it comes to mobile apps: advertise (via ad networks), integrate (to develop custom experience within established app providers) or build (custom apps).  We also dive into how marketers can prioritize when it comes to building a mobile-friendly website or creating an app, and what’s in store given the recent release of the iPad.
• How marketers are using branded apps? We look at specific case studies from Universal Pictures, Kraft and Tiffany & Co.

For the foreseeable future, apps will only consume more of consumers’ time and attract wider audiences, especially as smartphone penetration keeps rising. The competition for attention within the app market is daunting, and standing out requires a marketer’s steadfast commitment. If creating a branded experience isn’t the best fit for a marketer’s plans and goals, there are still other ways to reach app users. Marketers will increasingly want to explore such options as mobile applications attract more of consumers’ media consumption.

Read the blog and follow us on Twitter to learn more about how you can make the most of mobile marketing through apps in the future.