Mobile strategy event: an app for your business?mobile strategy event: een app voor uw bedrijf?Mobile Strategy event: En applikation för ditt företag?Veranstaltung über Mobile Strategien: Brauchen sie ein App für ihr Geschäft?
Last week, Bridge organized Talk About IT for the 6th time, in cooperation with Efactor. Over 60 people visited Boom Chicago in Amsterdam. The event was a success, with an open and positive atmosphere and much relevant exchange of experiences. A short report, written by one of the panel-members: Michiel Gaasterland of Storywise.
The theme of this edition was ‘What is your mobile strategy?’The attendees were mostly independent entrepreneurs and SME business leaders. Despite my years as brand director for Commodore International Corp, I’m not a mobile specialist. So I was there to help us explore how businesses could fit mobile into their overall marketing 2.0 strategy.
Vorige week organiseerde Bridge voor de 6e keer Talk About IT, in samenwerking met Efactor.Er waren ruim 60 bezoekers in het Amsterdamse Boom Chicago. Wederom een geslaagd event, een open en goede sfeer en veel relevante kennis uitwisseling. Een kort verslag, geschreven door een van de panelleden: Michiel Gaasterland van Storywise.
Het thema van deze editie was ‘What is your mobile strategy?’De bezoekers waren hoofdzakelijk zelfstandige ondernemers en SME bedrijfsleiders.Ondanks mijn jaren als marktleider van Commodore International Corp. ben ik geen mobile specialist. Dus ik was daar om ons te helpen onderzoeken hoe bedrijven mobile in hun algemene marketing 2.0 strategie kunnen inpassen.
Förra veckan organiserade Bridge Talk About IT för 6:e gången i samarbete med Efactor. Över 60 personer besökte ”Boom Chicago” i Amsterdam. Eventet var en succé, med en öppen och positiv atmosfär och ett mycket relevant utbyte av erfarenheter. Här är en kort rapport skriven av en av medlemmarna i panelen: Michiel Gaasterland på Storywise.
Temat för den här upplagan av eventet var: “Vad är din mobila strategi?” Deltagarna var huvudsakligen oberoende entreprenörer och ledare för små och medelstora företag. Förutom mina år som Brand Director för Commodore International Corp, är jag ingen ”mobil”-specialist. Så jag var där för att hjälpa oss utforska hur företag kunde implementera ”mobila lösningar” i sin övergripande ”marketing 2.0”-strategi. Paneldiskussionen föregicks av två presentationer. Den första gavs av Sander Munsterman från xs2theworld – som har utvecklat mobila lösningar för globala varumärken såsom Porsche, IBM, Fanta, Pfizer, Kodak, BBC och Orange. Den andra gavs av Edward Hölsken från mediaBunker – som har utvecklat skräddarsydda applikationer för alla från Playboy och Peugeot till Sinterklaas!
Letzte Woche veranstaltete Bridge in Zusammenarbeit mit Efactor zum sechsten Mal Talk About IT (Diskussionen über IT). Mehr als 60 Leute besuchten Boom Chicago in Amsterdam. Die Veranstaltung, bei dem ein intensiver themenbezogenen Austausch von Erfahrungen stattfand, wurde in einer offenen und positiven Atmosphäre durchgeführt und war ein voller Erfolg. Hier nun ein kurzer Bericht geschrieben von einem der Konferenzteilnehmer: Michiel Gaasterland von der FirmaStorywise.
The panel discussion was preceded by two presentations. The first was from Sander Munsterman from xs2theworld – who have developed mobile solutions for global brand such as Porsche, IBM, Fanta, Pfizer, Kodak, BBC and Orange. The second was from Edward Hölsken from mediaBunker – who have developed custom apps for everyone from Playboy and Peugot to Sinterklaas!
So let’s see – should you develop an app for your business?
1. Mobile Strategy starts with goal setting
Developing an app because it makes your company look cool and innovative towards stakeholders is OK, If that’s your PR goal. But there’s other ways of looking cool & innovative without going to the expense and trouble of developing a mobile app.
Spending more time on figuring out why you want to do a mobile app, and defining what specifically you want to achieve, will save you the disappointment of developing an app that is not being downloaded or used. It’s a very competitive market. And the app failure rate is high!
2. Mobile is just another tool or channel; so focus on content
Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying mobile is not important. It is. Somewhere next year, mobile will overtake use of the PC. A good reason to be prepared. But ultimately, it’s just another channel – like Facebook, your website, blog or Twitter – that we can use to deliver content to your target audience.
You need to think of Mobile as an integral part of your entire strategic eco-system. The only element that ties together your entire eco-system is content. So, it’s better to first start considering what content you need to offer, what content users create themselves and how you organize the content. This can now inform your mobile strategy.
3. Mobile is not just about campaigns
A large chunk of the apps out there are created for campaign purposes. Their downloads are driven by promotion and advertising with the objective to have customers ‘engage’ with brands through competitions, fun or games and create awareness or sales. But apps can have longer shelf-life, more value and a more strategic business focus as well.
A great example is the Sennheiser Frequency Finder. In short: Sennheiser had a problem with one of their flagship products: the wireless microphone. Sound engineers had a tough time getting them to work in venues without interference of other frequencies. This started impacting their customer satisfaction and Trust.
The Sennheiser iPhone app helps sound engineers find and set the right frequency for any given venue. This allows the product to perform much better. Which increases customer satisfaction and Trust. This will create positive word of mouth and increase sales over time. A great example of strategic use of mobile apps!
Mobile apps – look before you leap!
Many businesses often jump into developing an app without first figuring out their strategy. This often brings problems in the actual development stage. Or sometimes,even earlier.
I talked with a few nice people who advise businesses on the potential and development of apps. Their starting point is always how mobile fits into your business strategy.
One of the app people told me that they have even advised clients not to develop an app – but instead focus on building a properly optimized mobile website.
This is great advice.
I think the biggest learning from this event is this:
Make sure you take the time to develop a mobile strategy that: fits your business strategy is built around a specific need of your customers and you have the content to sustain its shelf life.
From a personal point of view I want to add one last thing – apps are cool! Once you have a good strategy, focus on the creative side. Create something that your clients would absolutely love to have. Something that really blows their skirt up. Get creative. Care to the max!
If you do all of that, you really are getting this whole 2.0 thing. Have fun!
