 |
 |
There’s an App for That?
In July 2008, Apple introduced the App Store with 500 downloadable applications and created the “There’s an App for Everything” ad campaign. In less than two years, the number grew to more than 200,000 apps and 4 billion downloads. Apps to find restaurants, entertainment or places to shop, learn the latest news, sports and weather and even figure out where you parked your car.
Once again, Apple took something that had been around for years and turned it into a “must have” for the masses by enhancing the experience of iPhone and iPod Touch users. The company then promoted it as hip and cool and built a franchise in the mind of the consumer. When most people hear about an App or the App Store, they think of the iPhone and now maybe the iPad.
The reality is the App Movement includes more than the iPhone and Apple’s App Store. Android, Intel, Palm, Blackberry’s parent Research in Motion and Samsung all now have their own App Stores promoting apps for netbooks, HDTV’s, Blu Ray Players and smart phones.
These major players see apps as an opportunity to extend the lives of their products, making their gadgets new and fresh again with each downloaded app. With mobile computer chips powerful and affordable and internet connections seemingly everywhere, third party app developers are creating apps at an amazing pace—1,000 new ones per day just for smart phones. Sales of apps also create new revenue streams for manufacturers and developers.
What’s in it for you?
Your TV will become more than a TV, serving as a computer screen, gaming console and place to watch movies, news, sports, whatever.
Your netbook’s limited hard drive space won’t be much of a factor when you can run productivity, entertainment and communication programs through netbook apps.
Your car’s sound system will play Twitter alerts while you are driving. Seriously…Ford has partnered with Pandora and hopes to unveil this app in the near future.
The focus on enhancing the customer experience began with apps for smart phones and has morphed into so much more. Products that make our life easier and that are easy to use. PR and ad campaigns telling the story in real life and real cool terms. Companies making customers happy while still making money.
There’s an app for that?
|
 |
| |
|
Light Reading Archives Now Available
David M. Mastovich, MBA, is the president of Massolutions, a Pittsburgh based Strategic Marketing firm that focuses on improving the bottom line for client companies through creative marketing, selling, messaging and customer experience enhancement.
|
|
