The Bloom Report

There’s no doubt that the hype surrounding iPhone applications has reached a fevered pitch as marketers and agencies stare longingly at the opportunity presented by Apple’s App Store. Millions of phones (and iTouches) in consumers hands and more than a billion applications downloaded. What’s not to love?

However, before jumping in with both feet, it’s important to lay out a plan that clearly defines the scope of the project and expectations. The App Store is littered with underdeveloped applications that clearly were pushed through the organization with little time spent on:

1. Strategy
As “doing mobile” is not a strategy, neither is building an orphan application. There are generally two schools of thought on the direction of an application – utility vs. entertainment. Decide on one and be excellent.

2. Add Value
Much has been made about the short lifespan of many mobile applications and there’s a very good reason…they don’t add value! If your goal is a quick PR hit, by all means, create something clever, get your two day splash and move on. If you are more interested in maximizing the investment in your application and building a stronger connection with consumers, solve a problem.

3. Function
It’s important to make sure your app looks great, but even more important to make sure it functions well. One application from a major food brand offers users the ability to view recipes and create shopping lists. The content is basically text and easily could have been cached on the phone for speedy access while shopping. Instead, the developer created a “shell” and each time you access a recipe it must pull the content over the network. This creates a frustrating experience for users, reflects poorly on the brand, and the comments in the App Store clearly demonstrate that consumers aren’t happy.

4. Marketing
As previously stated, and has been widely discussed, the App Store is not a discovery tool. Marketing and PR should have a role in every app launch and to forgo these elements is a sure path to disappointing results. At the bare minimum, reach out to your social networks, email your customers, send out a press release, and mention it on your website.

5. Commitment
More than likely you have features in mind that didn’t make the first version and consumer feedback has probably surfaced a few areas for improvement. It’s time for version 2 of the application, especially if things went well with the first effort. Continue the drive for new users and improve the experience for those that are using the application. If things are going really well, it may be time to think about a version for Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, etc.

General, iPhone

Each month AdMob releases a report which is widely cited in the media and contains a wealth of information. However, many people take the data as law and don’t evaluate what is being presented. Let’s be clear, AdMob is a tremendous business and a great resource, but the information in the latest report (pdf) regarding application usage is dangerous, particularly for brand marketers not well-versed in the mobile marketing space.

As presented, the data clearly shows that outside of a few major applications, usage of iPhone applications falls off the proverbial cliff. Only 5% of applications have more than 100,000 active users and more than 50% have less than 1,000 users. Taken without context, as has been the case with most media outlets, this presents a dire picture for any company looking to connect with customers with an application. What isn’t immediately evident to those skimming headlines and articles is that these numbers are derived only from those applications that use AdMob to serve ads. This is analogous to comparing the users of a corporate website to those that visit a random website that shows ads from Google. In no way can a branded experience be compared to the applications and games of companies using AdMob.

Creating a branded iPhone application is certainly not a guarantee of success, but choosing not to do so based on irrelevant data is lazy at best.

Marketing, iPhone

Whether exploring deep in the wilderness, or traveling abroad, having comprehensive first aid information at your fingertips is always a good thing. It’s especially good when all of the content is stored on the phone and you aren’t dependent on a data connection!

First-Aid for Travelers

First-aid techniques covered in this application come complete with cross-reference hyperlinks between categories, situational descriptions and various technique illustrations. The techniques range from what to do in the event of an airway obstruction to treatment of stings and bites from various marine-life to burns. Plus much more…

Mobile Medical Information Storage

This portion of the application is useful not only to the user but can also provide vital information to doctors and emergency professionals in a crisis. Based the online medical information storage benefit of the MedjetAssist Plus membership, the mobile medical information storage component of this application allows you to upload and organize medical contact information directly from your iPhone’s contacts, detail any pre-existing conditions, record allergies and list any medications that you might be taking.

Mobile Medjet

If you are a Medjet member, the application allows you to record you membership information and provides one-touch access to Medjet emergency phone numbers. Members also have one-touch access to the Medjet.com website via their iPhone’s Internet browser.
For non-members the application offers a portal to Medjet’s membership information via your iPhone’s Internet browser as well as one-touch access to the Medjet Membership Services department. Giving you mobile access to information on Medjet and its many membership options as well as the ability to enroll with the Medjet Membership Program.

Download iMedjet (iTunes link) for free via the App Store.

iPhone