GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 32 - June 2015

strengthening of relationships with op- erators venturing into the mobile space. Demonstrating comprehensive knowl- edge of the mobile app industry allows affiliates to bring that much more to a partnership. For example, in a short-term context, one could look at the digital success of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball tourna- ment. The "March Madness Live" app, which was also made available on desk- top, served a record 80.7 million live video streams. Further evidence reveals an array of tournament-related apps that made the most of the opportunity. One example is Thuuz, which offered fans a real-time rating of games so they would know whether it was worth tuning in. For a more long-term perspective, we should all be monitoring how a well- established entity like Major League Baseball (MLB) has and will continue to engage its primarily American audience throughout a 162-game season. With a digital strategy that includes on-demand video streams and the revitalized MLB Advanced Media “At Bat” mobile app, the great American pastime could offer insight into brand-building and in-app advertising applicable to other industries. Training for the ascent Just a few years ago it would have been more than a reach to suggest the Tour de France held a place in the hearts of U.K. sports fans. However, following wins by Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome, things have changed. As global fans of the event know, one of the keys to achieving success on this stage is suffering through and overcoming the mountainous terrain. The topography of the mobile app mar- ket is one that shows a need for similar durability and long-term consideration. Success in the market, in development and advertising, bears close resemblance to that of the Tour in that both are more race than sprint. There is also increasing evidence that the need for this type of perseverance is be- ing acknowledged and addressed. CDW’s Enterprise Mobile App Report , which sur- veyed 374 people responsible for guid- ing their company’s mobile app strategy, shows that “48 percent of businesses ex- pect to increase their mobile app budgets, with 20 percent expecting to increase app budgets by more than 10 percent.” The flipside to that, however, shows that 28 percent of respondents either had no plans or were uncertain about the app strategy they would use going forward. While the presence of mobile apps will vary from one industry to the next, those presently in a state of non-commitment should make it a priority to monitor the evolution in both their product and geo- graphical markets. This necessity shines through in InMobi’s State of App Downloads & Monetization 2014 , which was released in March and reveals an overall increase of 70 percent in app installs between the first quarter and the fourth quarter of 2014. Of particular note for the larger gaming industry is that the cost-per-install (CPI) for games was higher than any other seg- ment assessed in the report. It was also found that CPIs were the most expensive in the U.K., U.S. and China — the three markets with the highest smartphone penetration rates. These and the previ- ously mentioned figures highlight an app industry that will require thoughtful nav- igation and expertise to make inevitable course corrections. Enduring the elements To adequately address the innovation of in-app advertising and install tracking, we are best served by looking at histo- ry. If this conversation were reserved to technology, we might consider Scottish- born Alexander Graham Bell. But in the context of sport, we look instead to July’s British Open — specifically the Old Course at St Andrews, where they’ve been playing golf since 1552. Weather for the four-day event has cus- tomarily been as unpredictable as it is humbling. It tests the grit and fortitude of those who seek to prepare for and con- quer it. It also offers us an appropriate analogy for the world of mobile apps. Just as winning one of professional golf’s major tournaments is an achievable feat for those of a certain mindset and talent, so too is finding success in acquiring and retaining a mobile audience. Both require an aptitude for calibration and malleabil- ity. In the case of mobile, it’s essential to look at the strategies market leaders are using to entice their audience. Of equal importance is listening to consumer feed- back to gauge where the winds of change are most likely to blow. A recent mobile app study from Dim- ensional Research, titled Mobile App Use and Abandonment , set out to gauge the overall level of satisfaction experienced by app users worldwide. The 3,011 par- ticipants came from the U.K., the U.S., France, Germany, the Netherlands nd Canada. The results of the study were telling — 80 percent of users said they would “attempt to use a problematic app three times or less” before dismissing it. The significance of that metric is amplified when looking at the responses when participants were asked what they have done when using “a mobile app that regularly crashed, stopped responding or had errors.” Fifty-three percent said they uninstall or remove the app, while 37 percent said they stop using the app. Only 14 percent said they do nothing and continue using the app. The summary of these findings and the report as a whole show the importance of making the most of available resources to determine the needs of mobile users and formulate a strategy to make those needs work for a particular organization. In the Users spend 89 percent of their mobile media time using apps." 72 Mobile apps ready to bask in summer sunshine