How brands should use smartphones and apps in their communication?

A step by step guide from ARworks

Sab Budahazy szbudahazy@arworks.com

www.arworks.com

Introduction

• Smartphones and apps are increasingly dominating not just the digital but the whole communication landscape.

• This marketing channel is so different from the regular ones that it requires a totally unique approach

• Know-how and best practices are still under development for this channel

• We, at ARworks, with the experience of more than 80 different apps for international brands collected our learnings on the following slides.

ENJOY

Mobile rules

• TV, Print, Web, Radio – all of them are migrating their content to Mobile

• Facebook – more then 50% of the visits are from Mobile

Mobile grows

Mobile is maturing, with key factors reaching considerable – however yet not final – level.– Smartphone penetration, – Device hardware strength, – Mobile bandwidth and – App use daily hours by users

is all time high

Reasons to go mobile

This is the most

• Interactive• Intimate• Engaging• Efficient

marketing channel

So you cannot afford not to go

Differences and advantages

Differences

• Use of smartphones and apps as a marketing channel – because of their special characteristics – is totally different from what you know and experienced before with other channels - TV, Print, Web, Outdoor, Event

• So it needs to be tackled in a totally different way

Mobile Advantages

• It’s a dialogue– TV, Print, Outdoor are one way channels – your message is a

monolog. There is no chance for the customer to actively connect to it, react to it. They just watch and hear.

• Anytime-anywhere– My smartphone is always, 24/7 with me, so I could be reached

theoretically anytime with it.

• Rich interactivity– With its screen, loudspeakers, camera, wifi and 3G and the

actual computer in it – there is no limit for interaction

• Intimacy– My phone and my apps are my personal assets – I own the apps,

and what’s inside. So, anybody on it, is very important for me.

• Sharing– Using Social Channels are the easiest – really just one click – and

all of them are on Mobile (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, etc)

Mobile Challenges

• Customers’ Effort– A lot more effort has to be made to get and use an app

compared to other channels – download it, remember for it, use it. But once you have this – nothing compares

• Value is a must– Some kind of takeaway has to be in the app – otherwise

customers will not use it

• Limited Screen size– Content has to be selected, minimized, focused

• User’s control of the content– Your target group decides what they want to see and ready to

accept. Contact is planned – any forced, not wanted info is disturbing

The use situation• This is one of the biggest advantages of Mobile • Ordinary communication channels reach customers at limited, given,

allocated times during the day – when they watch TV, read a print or surf the web at their desk. This is (probably) not the time when they use or think about the product – or when they need it.

• Since Mobile could be used anytime, anywhere, its content can be much more strongly connected to this actual situation: – Searching for the product (or in the product category)– Making the purchase decision for the product category– Purchasing the product– Using the product

• Like kitchen and cooking, sports, hobbies, friends, family events, etc.+1 Apps are also perfect for documenting, sharing the actual situation

The Touchscreen

• Compared to PC and Laptops, Smartphones and Tablets, with their touch screen interface, have a much more natural feeling of interaction.

• This gives us the possibility to give the customers a much closer feel of the product – if its on the screen of my Smartphone, I’m nearly already holding it.

• This is also a great advantage with certain target groups not that familiar with thePC/Monitor/Mouse system.– Children– The Elderly

Targeting

Filtering, selecting, changing the app’s content for selected user groups is simple

• Country targeting• Language targeting• Religion targeting• Culture targeting• Age targeting

is never been easier.

Reaching hidden customers

• There are more and more people, who do not watch TV, read magazines or use PC for personal, not work related purposes.

• They can be still reached through their Smartphones

Summary of differences

TV PRINT OUTDOOR EVENT DIGITAL Mobile

Reach High Medium High Low High High

Interactivity Low Low Low High High High

24/7 Low Low Medium Limited Low Best

Engagement Medium Low Low High Medium High

Cost/reach Low Low Low High Low Low

Communication One way One way One way Two way Two way Two way

Content richness

High Low Low High High High

Branded Mobile Content options

There are various ways to be on Mobile

Formats• Mobile Apps

– Installed software performing a task on the device. Apps can be accessed anytime and can make use all of the functions, features, sensors of the phone.

• Mobile Optimized Web Pages – Web Apps– Web pages stored on a server and opened through the browser app of the

Mobile (Chrome, Safari, etc). They are specially designed web pages looking like apps.

– They cannot use the sensors, special features of the device – camera, GPS, rich media, etc. And they are usually working only on-line

• Mobile Advertising– Content appearing

within other apps/web pages• Full screen ads• Banner ads

Formats on MobileApps Web Apps

Flexibility High Low

File size High Low

Use of Sensors, Camera, etc Full Very limited

Ideal use of area Rich content, rich interaction

Text, photo, catalogue – slideshow, forms

Off/on line Off-line operation Only On-line

Up-grading, refreshing Complex Easy

Apps Role in General

Apple Store and Google Play both have approx. 1.2 M available Apps.

Apps’ role for customers

• Apps are not one way info sharing instruments (like TV, Print, Outdoor) – they are valuable tools helping product/brand understanding or product/brand related activities.

• They should help your customers in their daily lives – not just push them to buy your product.

• Apps are– Assistants: they are the customers’ help for the

product or activity– They are the Suisse knife of your brand – customers

should turn to them when they need help in connection with your product/use situation

• Apps are forever – make them right, and people will keep it on their phones, use it continuously.

Apps’ role for customers

• Customers are not looking for your TV/Print/Outdoor ad – they run accidently into them

• Customers go to your Website when they need info• Customers go to your (or stop by) at your Event when

they’re interested• Customers go to your Apps when they want to

interact – when the product or the connected activity is on their mind

Apps on the Phone

Apps are the most important digital roads to the customers.

Customers have 1-2 apps on their phones for each of their interest, activity (except games).

If yours will be the one, connected to your product’s activityyou win a spot on your customers home screen.

Forever.

Apps’ role for products

Apps could help customers to

your product

Learn more about

Remember better to

Buy more often

Use more regularly

App’s role in communication

Direct-indirect Apps

• Direct Apps– Apps connected directly to your

product like mobile brochures, tutorials

• Indirect Apps– Situation/activity connected Apps –

serving any aspect of the situation your product is used

– Target group connected Apps – serving your target group in any way

– Sponsored theme, sport, event, topic connected Apps

Indirect Apps - Sponsoring

• Sponsored sports–World cup– Olympic

• Sponsored music– Concerts–Musicians

• Sponsored event– Fashion Show– Festival

• …

App Taxonomy

Values of Apps

So again, Apps can give brand experiences to customers not possible with other channels, because they are:

• Interactive• Accessible anytime, anywhere• Multimedia rich

– Animated 3D, 360 video

• Aware where your customer is – GPS, iBeacon

• Connected all the time• Acting as a camera• Equipped with sensors

Brand/Product App types• Loyalty apps

– Being an interactive, front end interface of loyalty programs – instead of a simple card, showing the customer’s name, account details, points and product-offers can be easily presented

• Retail apps– Helping purchase with price info, announcing promotions

• Campaign apps– Connected to campaigns – using the same lay-out and messages and at the same time

profiting from the key advantages of Mobile. It can be an interactive, useful, 24/7 version of the campaign

• Catalogues – Product info with versions, options, ingredients

• Product Tools – Useful Apps connected to the product, the use activity, the situation or the target group

• Tutorials– Tell and Show how to use the product – text, images, videos, 3D animations, voiceovers

• POS, In-Store apps– Connected to the shopping situation

• Games

• Activation Apps– In-Store, Event, Sponsoring, Promotional solutions acting as a program on an activation

App Content

Apps can add any type of multimedia information, by being a:• Product enhancement

– Info on usage– About Ingredients– Tutorial

• Ad enhancement– Shop or participate immediately in a prize draw when seeing

the ad with your Mobile (TV, Print, Outdoor)

• Location enhancement – In the shop– At the product shelf– At the point of use

What kind of app my brand needs?

What App – the simple way

How to find out, what kind of App my brand needs?• Put a mobile phone on the product!

What would be the content, you want to show on it – or what does the customer want to see on it?

• Is there anything special your customers think about, when or before they are using your product? Connect the app to that!

• Check what kind of apps are there already in the App Store, connected to your sponsored sport, your product category, your typical customer, to the need your product satisfies– Learn from them– Make your own one – communicate it better

What App – the analytical way

What kind of Mobile content I should make? This depends on the– Product type, category– Need the product satisfies– Function the product performs– Situation the product is used in

• How an app can solve the same problem or answer the same need.

– Target group, the customer – their interests, habits. – Brand – linked to any sport, emotion, value, etc.

Apps’ Key content

The 2 most important thing

Your App has to have at least two key content elements, which answers the following two questions:

• Why do the customers download it?– Add Exclusive content

• Information/multimedia content only available through the App

• Promotional offers

• Why would they use it regularly?– Strong Functional content solving a need, a problem– Entertaining content– Social content

App general content

Above these two – there are other elements, which are generally part of an app • Exclusive

– Something only available for the app users – a song from your sponsored singer or a special promotion

• Functional– A useful menu point, which solves a daily problem

• Entertaining– Something fun – like a game

• Product related– Info about the product – just in case

• Social Integration– Branded content prepared by the app (a photo

collage) to share– Refreshed

• By the brand• By the user

• Registration– To send targeted offers

Tool function

Special offer

Game

Catalogue

Share

Register

Developing an App

The process

The development of an app includes the following steps:

• Concept• Wireframe• Specification• Design

• Programming• Beta version• Testing

• Final version• Upload

It can be done within 4-8 weeks

App Marketing

The missing element

The 3rd important issue

Above the already mentioned 2 key questions

(1) Why do they download it? (2) Why would they use it regularly?,

the last important question which has to be

answered for the success of the app:

(3) How they know about it?

Apps has to be communicated

How they know about it?

Apps have to be communicated at the right places, through efficient channels with appropriate content. Interest should be raised with giving some insight with app screenshots, screen capture videos, etc• On TV

– Tag with the App icon

• On print ads– Showing the App icon, name, screenshots

• On the Website– Link to the App Store, screen captures

• Banner campaign– Direct Link to App Store/Google Play, videos, etc

• In-Store– On the product, on the shelves

How to use the App for communication?

How to use the App?

So your App is on the smartphone of your potential customers and they are using it regularly. What’s next?

• Send out Push notifications on your promotions, new products, etc

• Change content with– New products– Special offers– Invitations for an events

• Add New Menu points• Add New Features

Managing the app

• It’s a continuous, digital dialog with your customers• Apps need regular content management, because user-customers

have access to them all time – and they want to have the newest, latest of your brand!

• Its like your App is standing in the living room of your customer and can talk to her anytime

Next Gen Mobile Technologies

Next Gen Mobile Tech

• Today– Augmented Reality– iBeacon – indoor navigation– 360 videos– 3D models and animation

• Tomorrow– Same-place multi-user apps – “apping”

together– Health, fitness apps, wearable's are coming

Mobile Analytics

How to measure apps?

• With Apps you can measure everything• Any kind of statistical data can be gained– Downloads– Use of individual app functions– Frequency, length, time– Actual location of use– etc

• Filtered by demographical, geographical data, etc

Smart Activations

Events using mobile devices and apps

Mobile on Events

Mobile devices, tablets are used frequently on activations, events because they are:• Innovative• Engaging• Content rich• Easy to transport

and install

We hope, we managed to give a practical summary on how to use

Mobile and Apps in your communication and you’ll build in this

channel more and more into your campaigns.Do it now!

If you have any more questions, thoughts – let us know!

Sab Budahazy szbudahazy@arworks.com

www.arworks.com