4 Mobile Marketing News Items You Should Know

July 26, 2016
 
Ashley Rondeau

What’s the latest in Mobile Marketing? We’re here to highlight the interesting items every app developer should be aware of this week. Here are the 4 most interesting pieces of mobile marketing news stories you should know.

1. Pokémon Go provides marketing opportunities IRL.

The success of PokĂ©mon Go is still the biggest story around, and businesses and brands have been salivating at the chance to capitalize on the hit game. The big brands with the deepest pockets are already lining up to get sponsored locations in the game (of course the first would be McDonald’s), and now sponsored items are coming as well. The old adage for marketing is to be where the people are, and right now everyone’s living in the VR PokĂ©mon world. What’s next? Virtual billboards and bidding on time-constrained lures? Probably!
But if the idea of big corporations using a children’s game to sell products upsets you, here’s a more palatable story: The Muncie Animal Shelter in Indiana is offering people the chance to walk their real-life rescue dogs as they hunt for imaginary creatures. See? There are wonderful ways to market your business with PokĂ©mon Go. Check out a few others.
Muncie Animal Shelter

2. In-app messaging may be the key to mobile marketing.


According to a recent study by Experian Marketing Solutions (via Business Intelligence), “in-app messaging will be the top initiative for mobile apps in 2016.” 44% of marketers put in-app messaging as their main focus over SMS or even push notification.
The report goes on to show that since only 45% of smartphone users opt in to push notifications, in-app messaging is more effective since you can’t opt out of them. Makes sense to us, and since app developers can control and customize in-app messages as desired, we’re big fans of this method of mobile marketing. The report also claimed that “in-app messages increased app launches by 27%,” which is a significant statistic when you consider most apps go unopened after the first 30 days.

3. Emoji marketing is a thing, but it probably doesn’t work.

From branded emoji on Twitter and Facebook, to full emoji keyboards that are branded, to brands simply using emojis in their communications, many are hailing the “rise of emoji marketing.” And sure enough, because marketers will try anything once, we are seeing a huge increase in emoji marketing campaigns:

But there doesn’t seem to be any hard numbers showing that these emoji-based campaigns are working for more than just a tiny segment of already popular brands. Sure, we know that certain brands have dropped $1 million on special emojis to accompany hashtags on Twitter, but a million dollars is a drop in the bucket to brands such as Coca-Cola or Disney. It’s a rounding error, and it’s not as impressive as it seems. We’re more in the camp of Digiday who called emoji branding a “useless artifact,” and Forbes that called it “a fly in the mobile marketing ointment.

4. Mobile advertising is still a puzzle waiting to be figured out.

Here’s a sobering chart from ClickZ Intelligence Report on The State of Mobile Advertising in 2016:
state_of_mobile_advertising
Only 13% of those surveyed said their company takes a mobile-first approach, and the “intermediate” group claimed their efforts were ad hoc. Is that even intermediate?
It just goes to show you that even though the iPhone came out in 2007, mobile marketing is still in it’s infancy. Part of the difficulty of cracking this nut is that the tech changes so quickly, by the time companies have a handle on in-app advertising, something new like augmented reality comes out and sends them scrambling again. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it because the audience is there.
And ultimately, there’s no question that mobile apps are an amazing marketing tool for your business in and of themselves. Just having a good app puts you ahead of your competition in mobile marketing.
What mobile marketing tactics works best for you? Comment below!
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So, if you don’t know where to get started with a blueprint for your app, Rocket Farm Studios can take the pressure off.

The 7 Apps You Need to Survive RNC 2016

July 20, 2016
 
Ashley Rondeau

RNC 2016The Republican National Convention is in full swing in Cleveland and as expected, it’s a crazy time. Melania Trump was caught copying off Michelle Obama’s notes, My Little Pony was invoked as a defense, and Third Eye Blind played an anti-concert welcoming boos. How can a lone visitor possibly survive all this chaos?
Never fear! We’re here to help you navigate these red, white, and white waters. Here are the 7 apps you need to survive RNC 2016.

1. Street Falafel

Street FalafelMaybe you’re at RNC 2016 on purpose. Maybe you’re there as a goof. Maybe you thought it was a national yachting-with-gun convention. Whatever the reason you’re there (and why are you there?), you’ll want a handy excuse for attending in case things go bad or you get caught on camera by Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.
The Street Falafel app is the perfect one to have launched on your phone at all times. Whenever you need an air-tight excuse as to why you’re walking the convention floor holding three Fox News keychains, you can bring up your phone, point to the restaurant locator on this app, and say “hey, I’m just looking for some falafel. Am I reading this wrong? How embarrassing!” No one will confuse someone looking for falafel for a RNC ticket holder. At least, no one there.

RNC app2. The Official RNC 2016 App

Whatever the reason you’re here, when in Rome do as the Romans do (ie. be Imperial Republican). So get the official RNC 2016 app on your phone and get to schmoozing with the aging illuminati.
With this app, you’ll see who’ll be the next to drone on about Trump, live stream Trump’s speeches (in 360 degrees no less!), map out the convention floor to find the best path to the exits, and see when the shuttle buses will arrive to finally take you back to your hotel that smells like whisky and BENGAY.
This app is huge. This is the best app. This app has the best words. Make iPhone great again. With this app.

Oh Crap App3. Oh Crap App

If you’re, let’s say, of the majority ethnicity of your surroundings, you can ignore this app. But if you so happen to be a little different on the outside (and a lot different on the inside), it would behoove you to download and install the Oh Crap App.
No, it’s not a potty finder. Rather, it’s an app that tells you what your legal rights are in certain situations. Need to record an altercation? Oh Crap App. Need to figure out whether you need a lawyer? Oh Crap App. Sure, you can tap anyone on the shoulder at the convention and you’ll learn all about the 2nd Amendment, but what if you need to know about the other thirty-two? Oh Crap App has got you covered.

4. DrinkedIn

DrinkedIn
DrinkedIn helps you find or make drinks.
You’re going to need a drink.

Anxiety Free5. Anxiety Free

Trump is the official Republican party nominee. He now leads the party of Abraham Lincoln. He is currently tied with Hillary Clinton in the polls. You ok? Your lips are turning blue. You might need to download the Anxiety Free app ASAP.
This self-hypnosis app will soothe your worries about America away with a calming voice that will convince you that everything will be just fine. Listen for just a few minutes, or for the entire duration of the RNC. Whatever length you need to convince yourself that moving to Canada isn’t realistic, but living off the grid is looking more and more appealing every inexorable new day.

Rep6. Rep: Single Republican’s Free Dating & Community App

At this point, you’ve been through the worst. You’ve got some drinks in you. And you’ve freed yourself from the anxiety of a crumbling two-party democratic system. You’ve embraced who you now are! Look around; aren’t those Merona shirts and khakis looking pretty good right about now? These men (and women?) have a nice air about them, like they have trust funds and can take care of you in your old age. Isn’t it time you met someone nice? Someone who has a rich history you can trace back to the Mayflower?
Things are looking up! So download Rep – the Single Republican’s Free Dating & Community App and see who around you is ready to mingle… in a conservative way! Rep allows you to find, match with, and message the potential elephants in your future. This is your life now. Find your red state red mate and start thinking of settling down. Hey it’s a fact: you get more conservative as you get older. Might as well embrace it!

7. Cleveland.com: Cleveland Cavaliers News

And you know what? Cleveland isn’t a bad place to settle down with your new Republican spouse. It’s got clean air, Lake Erie is pretty nice, it’s affordable, and of course, the Cleveland Cavaliers just won the NBA championship! You’ve already jumped on the political bandwagon, why not the sports bandwagon as well?
Download the Cleveland.com: Cleveland Cavaliers News app to stay up to date on America’s greatest basketball team. Will LeBron return next season? Probably! Maybe he’s even at the RNC convention with you right now*! Stay informed of the best thing Cleveland has to offer at the moment because you’re here now, for good, and everything is starting to make so much sense.
Trump/Pence 2016!
(Editor’s note: This is literally the screenshot the Cleveland.com Cavaliers News app has gone with on iTunes as of the writing of this blog post. No joke.)
*he’s not.
What apps will help you survive RNC 2016? Let us know!
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So, if you don’t know where to get started with a blueprint for your app, Rocket Farm Studios can take the pressure off.

5 Pokemon Go Copycat Apps We’ll Soon See

July 11, 2016
 
Ashley Rondeau

PokĂ©mon Go is the hottest augmented reality game at the moment, and possibly the hottest augmented reality app ever. Both kids and old kids alike are scrambling IRL to catch ’em all, and making crazy headlines all the while. Some good, like Nintendo stock jumping 25%. Some bad, like armed robbery and finding real dead bodies. And some just amazing to app creators like us, like PokĂ©mon Go surpassing Twitter’s DAU numbers on Android.

source: engadget

With numbers like that, it’s only a matter of time before every business gets into this augmented reality racket. So here are our predictions on the 5 PokĂ©mon Go copycat apps we’re likely to see in the coming months.

1. Tinder Go

tindergo
Instead of swiping left or right, Tinder Go makes you work a little harder to hook up with your potential mate because you can’t use this on the toilet. Instead, if you match with someone you’ll get a location where he/she might be hanging out. If it’s a real match, that person will be there waiting with a bottle of wine and we’re guessing a vape pen. If you got “left swiped,” you’ll be greeted with a virtual avatar of that person giving you the bad news. But you’re still in luck! Collect X amount of virtual avatars of those that will never date you to earn a free month’s subscription!

2. AirBnB Go

airbnbgo
Augmented reality at its finest! The Airbnb Go app will show you exactly where those nasty stains, bacteria, and STDs are hiding with fun and colorful caricatures. Catch them all virtually! Just don’t really catch any of them.

3. Snapchat Go

snapchatgo
Snapchat is all about messages that disappear (sort of), so there’s some semblance of privacy when you use this app. Snapchat Go adds an additional layer of privacy by forcing you to run to certain locations to view the Snap at all. Your friend-with-benefits will Snap a short video somewhere secluded and that video will be geo-anchored there. If you want to see the horribly lit pseudo sexy video, you’ll have to physically go there to make it play. Then the Snap disappears as usual. And you might too, if the location is sketchy enough. Well if you’re definitely going to send nudes on Snapchat, you might as well make your followers work for them.

4. HBO Go Go

hbogogo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s HBO. Anywhere. And Everywhere. For those of you who desperately need to pry yourselves away from Game of Thrones for just one stupid moment and experience the outside world, HBO Go Go forces you to leave the house. Each new location unlocks a new episode of GoT or True Blood, so you’re forced to exercise to get your binge on. Virtual avatars of your favorite characters will appear at these locations imploring you with phrases like “Please, do not watch any more,” and “You haven’t played with your children in months,” and “Hodor.”
Or, HBO Go Go is just virtual go-go dancers. Either way, this will be super popular.

5. Starbucks Go

starbucksgo
You hold up your phone and you’ll see a Starbucks on every corner! Incredibly realistic!

What Pokémon Go clones do you expect to see soon? Sound off in the comments below!

So, if you don’t know where to get started with a blueprint for your app, Rocket Farm Studios can take the pressure off.

Google Chromebooks Just Got Supercharged with Android Apps

July 5, 2016
 
Ashley Rondeau

In late June, Google released an update to Chrome OS which allowed some Chromebooks to run Android apps, and this update will roll out to many more in July. While this new feature has been relatively quiet, it’s pretty big news not only for Chromebook owners (and potential buyers), but to app developers who might have a new device to consider. Let’s dive into why the app industry should be paying close attention to this news.

Chromebooks sell really well.

In May we learned that, Chromebooks outsold Macs for the first time ever, moving nearly 2 million units to 1.76 million Macs in Q1. In some ways, that’s not surprising. Chromebooks are cheap, selling for as low as $150 for very usable models. Remember those underpowered netbooks that cost around the same but struggled to perform under the weight of Windows or Linux? Chromebooks cost even less than they did, and are far more powerful and capable.
One example of the Chromebook’s popularity is in US classrooms where even back in 2014, they had “displaced iPads as the most popular new devices shipping to U.S. schools.” So what do we expect will happen when young students grow up using these devices? It’s likely they’ll bring them home as well. Chromebooks are poised to take over the tablet market in general, as evidenced by Dell giving up on tablets altogether to focus on Chromebooks.
chromebook switch

Android apps can do anything.

With over 2.2 million apps in the Google Play store (which is .2 million more than Apple), Android’s usefulness has very few boundaries. Need to do something on your phone? There’s an app for that, to borrow a phrase. One of the limitations of Chrome OS was the lack of web apps to really rival the Android side of the business. The Chromebook had access to all the basics to make it a robust device: Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, YouTube, etc. But there were frustrating gaps as well. Skype is a big example of something you couldn’t easily get on a Chromebook.
It was to be expected to some extent. With app developers focusing on Android, many couldn’t be bothered to also develop a version for Chrome OS. Yes the Chromebooks were popular, but not quite ubiquitous enough to spend time and resources on for the average SMB app maker. But now with access to the millions of apps made for Android, that’s no longer a concern for both the developer and for the user.

source: gizmodo
source: gizmodo

Chromebooks might be the ideal 2-in-1 device.

People love being mobile. People love apps. But people also love keyboards and not paying a lot. The Chromebook is a strong contender to be the non-smartphone device in the post-PC world we live in. Powerhouse laptops aren’t going anywhere; professional video and photo editing requires more than an internet-dependent device. Same with gaming. But for the majority of the population that can get by with light internet apps, the Chromebook is a compelling device now that their favorite apps can be used, unadulterated. Even right now, we’re hard-pressed to find too many needs that a Chromebook + Android Apps combo can’t satisfy.
App developers also don’t need to change their game-plan, at least not for the moment. Since the Android apps will run in its own container on the Chromebook, there’s no resizing or redevelopment that needs to happen. We think that will change once this “apps-on-Chromebook” idea gets more popular (because, why wouldn’t app developers want to take advantage of a new audience?), but for right now, your Android apps can simply be used on a whole new screen. This could lead to new revenue streams and more downloads. And that’s good news for everybody. Well, maybe not Apple.
What do you think of Android apps on Chromebooks? Let us know in the comments below!
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So, if you don’t know where to get started with a blueprint for your app, Rocket Farm Studios can take the pressure off.