I consider myself primarily a Windows guy, yet love great gadgetry when i find it. I purchased the first iphone for my wife when it originally came out and with the launch of 3G and the iphone app store — it was time to give up my clunky Windows Smart phone as the iphone was a must have. I was convinced this became the prompt of mobile content ubiquity… high-speed data access, great program, business class secure feature set (email, contacts), quality web experience and a launch of applications marketed to folks with throw away income. The launch was a game changer for Apple (just like the iPod) and a real win for consumers.
Coming from years in the mobile media space on the vendor side (technology services to media companies) and the media company side (running the mobile business) the iphone is a symbol of that mobile is now a key apple iphone 13 pro. media distribution funnel. This statement will come across rather suspect and some of my fellow workers will challenge me here, yet the data will confirm my POV as mobile revenues are growing exponentially since its launch.
Real consumers (not only geeks) are actually able to do things faster and more efficient on good mobile phones (like the iPhone) aside from just talk, email (for BB users, ) or navigate through several clicks on a carriers deck. I know my fellow iphone users are nodding their heads with a smile. Yes, it is flat-out faster to get your email, update your Facebook status, check the next thunderstorm, Twitter, search ebay, etc. on your iphone — rather than on your computer. Whether the thanks should actually go to the carriers or Cisco for delivering faster and more accurate packets over the network, or more likely Apple for bringing this all together for consumers — mobile is finally here. The faster media companies work out how to create and deliver their valuable content to users outside the traditional core website, the better positiioned they are to survive in these crazy times.
The traditional focus on acquiring and retaining traffic to a core website destination (ex. menshealth. com) by users sitting in front of their computers is yesterdays interactive media growth strategy. This does not mean media companies should stop all activities focused on building traffic to a core site, rather it means diversify the strategic focus to distribute content where and when your target consumers are interested. We are already seeing this with the large growth of the social web (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. ) — individuals are consuming content in numerous ways and in numerous places. More noticeable is that valuable content is being consumed based on recommendations from ‘enablers’ — trusted friends. At the same time new interactive media sites and brands are obtaining traffic and revenue from established media brands in key content verticals. The meaning of this story is that mobile will continue to play a more important role in what and how content is consumed. More importantly, you may not want to put your mobile strategy lower on the priority list as you may find, over time, it will hurt your current growth metrics.
The iPhone/iTunes application store (this includes other iphone app stores… Google, Side, Nokia, Blackberry mobile phones. ) Some may say application and content stores (powered by carrier units… Verizon, AT&T, etc. ) have been around and extremely successful for years — what is so new and impressive about Apple’s store? Apple has over 15, 000 applications launched over the past seven months (many which are actually really good and useful) making for a distinctive experience from scrolling through menu screens on a traditional cell phone. Whether you are playing Checkers or Connect Four with your kids or using your iphone to make sure images frame is level before attaching to a wall- the apps are very effective, they are successfully appealing, and most important workable because of your typical “Joe Consumer. inch Did you ever wonder why in times past mobile applications were only marketed to teens? Clearly teens were the only ones producing revenue for carriers and media companies from the sale of mobile ringtones, screen savers, etc. There must be such a compelling mobile application for a media or young technology company to buy before getting funded. Even mobile music applications struggled to get funding. Not prior to the iphone and the iphone app store had mainstream consumers (with throw away income) been the objective for mobile applications. The iphone iphone app store is a game changer for all stakeholders in the media ecosystem, from content owners/developers all the way through to consumers. Apple has successfully created a model that works and that others will monetize on as well.