GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 32 - June 2015

Mobile apps ready to bask in summer sunshine Seasonal showcase of sport highlights growing opportunity for affiliates By Allan Petrilli “Summertime is always the best of what might be.” ― Charles Bowden The world of athletic competition has a tendency to look a lot like that of the mo- bile app market. Although the sheer num- ber of apps—Google Play alone offers 1.43 million—dwarfs the approximately 8,000 sports recognized by the World Sports Encyclopedia , this comparison is not as much about quantity as it is about en- gagement. This is particularly relevant as we head into the hazy, crazy days of sum- mer that are anything but lazy. Here’s a sample of the sporting events taking place, or at least kicking off, in the six-week period from June 29 to Aug. 9: Wimbledon, Tour de France, British Open, The Ashes, Pan Am Games and the English Premier League, as well as most other European football (soccer) leagues. While none of these compares to the spec- tacle of the World Cup, as a collective they could prove just as rousing, at least where affiliates and mobile marketing initiatives are concerned. As affiliates ponder the value of building mobile app installs into their marketing strategy, there is still justifiable hesita- tion. Can those installs be tracked? What type of investment will be required? What might success look like at this stage? The answer to the first question is yes, mobile installs can be tracked; the tech- nology now exists to support that need. The answers to the other two questions require further consideration. Succeeding with careful preparation There are numerous reasons why foot- ball is the world’s most popular sport, but much of it has to do with accessibil- ity. Participants of all ages can play virtu- ally anywhere as long as they have some type of ball, and the seasons are long and competitive (look no further than the nine-month Premier League schedule). No one knows better than these players the importance of stamina, durability and a strong foundation. While specific campaigns can be highly effective and enjoy short-term success, a channel strategy is a long-term proposi- tion that needs equal doses of ingenuity and realism. The latter of these should be based on thorough research of a bour- geoning market as well as self-evalua- tion. Recognize that a sound mobile site strategy does not automatically equate to success. Users spend 89 percent of their mo- bile media time using apps ( Mobile Marketing Statistics 2015 , SmartInsights.com). Furthermore, men and women spent ap- proximately seven more hours monthly consuming media through mobile apps in the fourth quarter of 2013 compared with the fourth quarter of 2012. These figures are a strong indicator of the prospective audience for iGaming affiliates. But looking for inspiration, even outside of the industry, is also vi- tal to achieving success. Finding those sources of inspiration not only serves as a creative catalyst for affiliate marketing strategies but can also contribute to the 71 Mobile apps ready to bask in summer sunshine