Why do marketers get branded iPhone apps so wrong?

With over with over 100,000 applications on the iTunes App Store, brands are left with the dilemma of how to get their offerings noticed.

So what’s the secret of becoming a hit? What’s the magic formula that will get you on someone’s phone and close to them 24/7?

According to a new report from Adweek.com, two factors come into play.

Firstly, it argues that brands operating in the digital space have the advantage over non-digital brands.

No great surprise there. Unsurprisingly they get the space, how it operates and the needs and wants of online users. Oh, and they already have a profile in the online sector.

The second is ‘Utility’ – offering something of value to customer.

Any marketer is faced with the challenge of persuading consumers that their product/service is something they can’t live without.

It’s no different in marketing apps. Bottom line is do some research and do it early. If the feed back is that what the app is offering is rubbish, it’s most likely rubbish.

But don’t simply our word for it.

According to VP of Business Development at Symsource, Tim Ocock, in a recent article on UTalkMarketing.com the three guiding priciples for any brand developing an app should be.

1. Make sure you understand the capabilities and limitations of the technology.

2. Do something that can only be done on mobile.

3. Build something useful, not a gimmick

Ahhh, ‘something useful’ as in a Utility then! Have we made our point?