Question

Topic: Branding

Best Branding Strategy For Mobile App

Posted by k.sapen on 10/13/2014 at 3:21 PM ET 500 Points
Hi all,

Our mobile app(Mr. Bin) targets North American homeowners and we are looking for best strategy to not just create users, but create raving fans, inspiring a critical mass of mainstream consumers to tell everyone they know how much they love the app, instead of simply trying once and stay quiet.

Your help would be appreciated.
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  • Posted by mgoodman on 10/13/2014 at 6:28 PM Moderator
    If your app is really raving-fan-worthy you can probably accomplish your objective by seeding the app among your prime target -- perhaps 100 each in the top 20 cities -- and then see if they will each voluntarily tell a dozen of their best friends about it (and report the names and email addresses of those friends to you). Then keep the referral chain going.

    I wouldn't make it a quid-pro-quo ... "we'll give you the app if you will refer friends" ... because that sounds like a not-so-subtle bribe. Let the great app be discovered and let it turn the trial-audience into raving fans so they actually WANT to tell their friends.
  • Posted by cookmarketing@gmail. on 10/13/2014 at 8:35 PM Member
    Want to retry the Google model of referral only?
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 10/13/2014 at 9:10 PM Accepted
    If people are trying it once (and staying quiet) it sounds like you need to focus on why they don't LOVE it, and then address the issues. Once the app does what they want and need, then they'll likely be telling people w/o needing to push the issue with them.
  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 10/14/2014 at 9:04 AM Accepted
    Is this the app in question?

    https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mrbin/id674078352?mt=8

    If it is, the word "bin" in the US (to describe a trash container) from British English does not translate that well. I'm a Brit and i've lived here in the USA for 15 years and I still have issues making myself understood. That's the first point.

    Secondly, mainstream consumers usually do NOT tell everyone they know how much they love something because ordinarily, when any new product becomes part of any mainstream of experience, most people IN the mainstream already know about or have heard of the thing in question, so at best, it's old news, or at worst, lots of people know about the thing in question and are simply not interested.

    This means the people you REALLY need to attract to generate the most initial marketplace noise are influential early adopters, NOT thee majority of the mainstream.

    To create the kind of market place exposure you're looking for you may be better off giving free copies of your app to reviewers and social influencers through social media. Ideally you need to find game-related reviewers who have major followings on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, What's App, and through Vine, Tumblr, YouTube, and Instagram. By major social media followings I mean websites or individuals with at least 50,000 friends or followers per platform for the major players.

    Here's a list of major app review sites: https://maniacdev.com/2012/05/ios-app-review-sites

    There are also these sites:

    https://jayisgames.com/mobile/
    https://toucharcade.com
    https://www.slidetoplay.com
    https://kotaku.com/tag/mobile

    https://www.appbattleground.com/2013/10/26/best-app-review-sites/

    Good luck with your app.


  • Posted by k.sapen on 10/14/2014 at 9:19 AM Author
    Gary,

    It's not this gaming app.
    Our app is a waste management reminder, targeting homeowners (30+).

    We started in specific geography, so may need to find social media gurus, who influence homeowners in Ontario, Canada. Perhaps this will be quite a challenge (to target ads to this niche), otherwise we have to use shotgun approach and spend a lot of money on promo campaign, that targets many irrelevant people.

    Going back to my original question, are logo and taglines everything that constitute branding strategy? Where's that line separating branding from marketing?
  • Posted by mgoodman on 10/14/2014 at 1:41 PM Moderator
    You asked:
    "Are logo and taglines everything that constitute branding strategy? Where's that line separating branding from marketing?"

    Logo and taglines are definitely NOT everything that constitute branding strategy. In fact, they are only a small part of the "everything." Branding is something that is in the consumers' minds. It's their perception of your company/brand based on everything they know or think or have heard about you.

    Your branding strategy is the approach you take to try to influence that consumer perception. It includes product performance, advertising, packaging, price, promotion, 3rd party reviews, customer service, and even what someone's sister-in-law tweets about you.

    Oh, and sometimes the logo and tagline will come into play as well.

    How is that different from Marketing? Unless you are selling a commodity, it isn't that different. And if you are selling a commodity we need to talk. Even products typically thought of as commodities can be effectively branded, almost always with results that amaze an inexperienced marketer.
  • Posted by k.sapen on 10/16/2014 at 2:52 PM Author
    The app reminds homeowner when he/she has to take the waste out. We assume people love something, that solves a problem for them, making their life easier. This question is for professionals, who were successful in branding products/services or even better - mobile apps. We just want to make sure we leave no stone unturned, before hitting the road, with good product and decent branding strategy.
  • Posted by mgoodman on 10/16/2014 at 3:10 PM Moderator
    My concern would be that the problem you are solving is a non-problem, or an unimportant one, for most people. Certainly getting people to LOVE it is going to be a real stretch for most.

    Have you spoken with folks in your target audience to find out where this unmet need stands on their personal priority lists? My guess is that it's pretty far down the list.

    I've been very successful in my career as a consultant with branding products and services. The thing I always stress to clients is that successful branding (or marketing, for that matter) starts with a great product or service that truly meets a legitimate and important consumer need. If you don't pass that hurdle branding and marketing can quickly become an expensive way to learn your lesson.

    I'm not concluding that what you have is a loser. What I'm suggesting is that you get an objective reading on the concept before you spend a lot of time, energy and money promoting it. It's not uncommon for entrepreneurs to fall in love with their idea and remain blind to the hurdles that lie in the road ahead -- including their assumptions regarding the appeal of the basic concept (and assumed need) for their product/service.
  • Posted by mgoodman on 10/16/2014 at 3:22 PM Moderator
    You wrote: "We assume people love something, that solves a problem for them, making their life easier."

    Bad assumption. People might tolerate something, or they might like it -- but to LOVE it it would have to be really special and solve a very important problem.

    Lots of things make my life easier. Indoor plumbing is a good example. But that doesn't mean I walk around all day loving my toilet or telling my friends how much I love it.
  • Posted by k.sapen on 10/16/2014 at 3:45 PM Author
    Before developing anything, we always do a research to avoid wasted efforts, but that is a bit offtopic as I don't want to play Captain Obvious and waste people's time, re-iterating trivialities.
  • Posted by k.sapen on 10/18/2014 at 12:37 AM Author
    Unfortunately, I could not find the answer to my question, so will have to hire a branding expert. Thanks to everyone for taking part!
  • Posted by mgoodman on 10/18/2014 at 1:06 PM Accepted
    Just so you are not disappointed, please understand that even the very best branding experts are not magicians. We know how to do the best with what we are given, but we cannot make people love something that they don't value.

    Again, this isn't to say that nobody values what you have. It's to suggest that effective branding starts at the outset of a product's journey to the marketplace -- addressing a legitimate and important unmet consumer need with a product that makes sense to consumers. If you skip that step, there is no "branding" that can save the day.

    If you want to pursue this further and would like a no-obligation initial consultation, contact me off-line using the email address in my profile.
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