Volkswagen to Rely Solely on IPhone App for GTI Launch

Volkswagen of America is launching the newest-generation GTI exclusively on an iPhone game app, a cost-efficient approach the automaker said is a first for the industry. AdAge reports.

How cost efficient? When the marketer introduced the GTI in 2006, it spent $60 million on a big-budget blitz with lots of network TV. By comparison, an executive familiar with the matter estimates the annual budget for mobile AOR services is $500,000.

And while an iPhone-only strategy may seem limiting, consider this: In September, Apple reported there are more than 50 million iPhone and iPod touch customers worldwide. By comparison, CBS' "NCIS," the most-watched show for week ending Oct. 18, reached 21 million viewers and commands an average price of $130,000 for a single 30-second spot.

... For driving that demographic to discover and download the app, Volkswagen is banking on PR, viral pass-along and some paid search for consumers looking for iPhone apps and information on the GTI.

iPhone Owners Hate Ads, Study Says

According to The New York Times, a study conducted by Chitika based on 92 million impressions, reveals that mobile users are only about half as likely to click on an advertisement vs. non-mobile web users. The mobile click-through rate was 0.48 percent vs. 0.83 percent on non-mobile advertising. And iPhone users were found to be the least likely to click on mobile ads.

In their own words: While the recent growth in ’smartphones’ has sparked a renewed interest in mobile advertising, it appears given the numbers that mobile users are not receptive to advertising – a phenomenon that is not surprising, given the mobile users’ propensity to be searching for quick answers or directions.

Related articles on advertising on the iPhone.

Apple Adds ‘Top Grossing’ Category to App Store

Apple announced a “Top Grossing” category in addition to existing “Top Paid” and “Top Free” categories on the store. That change responds to developer complaints that expensive apps get buried in the “Top Paid” category because that ranking is based on the number of downloads, rather than total revenue generated from distribution of a piece of software.

[via The WSJ]

User-Generated Advertising Comes to the iPhone

20th Century Fox has tapped Tapulous, the company behind the most popular iPhone game, "Tap Tap Revenge," to run what it says is the first user-generated-content campaign on the Apple handset and help it target a demographic "sweet spot." Adage reports.

To plug the darkly comedic horror flick "Jennifer's Body," the campaign asks people to come up with the best visual theme for "Tap Tap Revenge" using images from the movie.

For the game's background, users can choose from a gallery of movie stills, most of which feature the film's provocative star, Megan Fox, plus a palette of colors and shapes to help fill in the rest of the game's visual canvas. The more artistically inclined can download a file containing additional movie assets.

Popular vote will decide the winner, and the finalists will be crowned a day before the contest ends on Sept. 10. Besides bragging rights, prizes include computer hardware such as a large tablet and a portable hard drive.

Read full article.

NYT Starts Serving Up Intrusive Ads in Its iPhone App

Over the weekend The New York Times has started running roadblock interactive ads on its iPhone app (attached screen capture), possibly the first such by a big publisher. Rafat Ali reports on PaidContent.

Still early days on the ad, but since NYT’s one of the bigger media apps, would be interesting to get the data on interaction later down the line. The upside is this is as good a captive audience you can get in a digital medium, but risk of course is that these ads are pretty intrusive and risk irritating off some users.

Mobile app ads cause concern for advertisers

The Central Office of Information (COI), the UK’s biggest advertiser, has called for industry bodies to offer guidelines on advertising in mobile apps as the format becomes increasingly popular. Mad.co.uk reports.

It comes after advertisers expressed concern that ads in iPhone apps which link to sites not optimised for mobile could damage brands’ reputations.

Last month Google launched AdSense for Mobile Apps to capitalise on the growing sector and began serving ads into iPhone and Android apps for brands such as BlackBerry, Compare the Market and O2. But some ads direct users to online websites that don’t render on phones, rather than to mobile-enabled sites.

It’s estimated that up to 30% of ads within mobile apps link to Flash sites which can’t be displayed on an iPhone; just 5% link to a mobile-enabled site.

Read full article.

A new ebook teaches developers how to market their iPhone apps

Intomobile reports on the first iPhone application marketing book (actually it’s an ebook) called “Secrets Of iPhone App Marketing: How To Get Your App Noticed & Increase Your Sales.”

iZendev

From the press release:

The purpose of the eBook is to teach App Developers the importance of a strong marketing strategy and how to create one for their application. Developers will learn the best websites for iPhone App reviews, step-by-step instructions for how to prepare and submit their app to each site, how to write an effective press release, and tips on how to keep the public’s attention. Over 1000 hours of research have been condensed into an eBook, which is on sale now, and for a limited time is priced at $49.

Getting Noticed on the iPhone App Store

In a megastore as big as Apple’s iPhone App Store, the secret to success is getting noticed. With more than 65,000 apps in 20 categories, app developers have come up with different strategies to accomplish that. The Wall Street Journal's Digits Blog reports.

One focus is getting on Apple’s ranking lists, to be one of the top 25, which people regularly comb through to find apps they want and can accesses via iPhone. The next 25 can still be viewed on iPhones, but numbers 51 through 100 can only be accessed through computers. Apple doesn’t rank beyond that.

And now for a few tricks of the trade:

-- Word-of-mouth campaign. Send out promotional codes for new apps

-- Advertising. Advertise on the Internet and in other iPhone apps through ad networks run by firms like Greystripe and AdMob

-- Choose a smaller category amongst the 20 categories of the App Store

-- Set a target release date. Weekends and Mondays are the most ideal launch days

-- Cut prices. It seems to work

-- Creat free demo versions. Offer free trial versions and label them “lite.”

-- Keyword searches. Straightforward app titles work better than creative ones

-- Copycat apps. Create an app that is similar to a popular existing app

-- Become one of Apple’s featured apps. A dream come true when it happens

-- Target specific regions. Like the iTunes music store, the App Store has a different interface for each market.

Read full article.

Long Tail of iPhone Apps Is Extra Long — and Not In a Good Way

Only 19 percent of iPhone/iPod Touch applications in the AdMob network had more than 10,000 users in May, and a mere 5 percent had more than 100,000 users, according to the mobile ad network’s latest Mobile Metrics report. GigaOM reports.

With more than 50,000 apps available on the iPhone, the long tail is in full effect — but even so, the steepness of the curve is impressive. More than half of the apps in the AdMob network had fewer than 1,000 users in May.

More marketers connect with consumers through mobile apps

Marketers of everything from beer to couture are dialing up mobile-device applications for their brands, reports USA Today.

Apps are fast becoming part of today's marketing mix because they can connect brands and products directly to consumers. That's also made them one of the hottest topics here this week at the ad industry's biggest annual awards competition, the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.

Read full article for examples of brands using apps to connect with consumers.

AppGiveaway

If you're an iPhone/iPod Touch user who likes to win free stuff or an iPhone developer who wants to generate some buzz about your product(s), look no further than AppGiveaway.

The AppGiveaway site is updated throughout the day everyday to help keep your apps in the spotlight they promote newly launched apps as well as existing applications that are featured in the Apple store.

[via News.com]

Hachette's Bestselling Promotional iPhone App

An iPhone app, Whats Your Sex Appeal, promoting Hachette Book Group's "The Man's Book: The Essential Guide for the Modern Man" has nabbed the second place spot in the overall free-apps category in the Apple App Store.

The company built the "Urinal Test"--an iPhone game that tests one's ability to navigate a crowded bathroom--as a promotional tool for the male-centered handbook by Thomas Fink. The App debuted on April 16, and has earned a coveted spot on the App Store homepage.

[via mediabistro]

How Advertisers Can Stand Out In Apple's App Store

The iPhone has invigorated the mobile gaming market, now it looks as it might do the same for mobile advertising. According to a lengthy feature in the WSJ.com, industry pundits are predicting that the iPhone could help boost overall mobile ad spending this year to as much as $200 million, twice as much as last year's figure of $100 million.

Read full article in The Washington Post.

IPhone Gets Bigger as Ad Medium

Madison Avenue is plowing more resources into a new marketing medium: Apple's iPhone. The Wall Street Journal reports.

... At the most basic, marketers are taking advantage of the iPhone's advanced video and screen capabilities by creating streaming video ads. But some are taking things further by offering ads disguised as apps. The latter allow users to do such things as play games or manipulate images by touching the phone's screen.

... Advertising on the iPhone has its challenges. An app has to stand out among the tens of thousands available at the App Store.

To minimize the risk and cost of iPhone advertising, at least one marketing company is now buying existing iPhone applications and revamping them with clients' brands.

Read full article.

Google to launch "Star Droid" app

Google is preparing to launch a mobile phone application called Star Droid that can help amateur astronomers identify stars and planets. The Telegraph reports.

The search engine software will use GPS technology to compare the position of the phone user with existing maps of space, attaching name tags to the stars and planets that can be seen through the phone's viewfinder.

The application could reignite interest in planets and constellations that has been dampened by light pollution from street lamps that make the night sky hard to observe.

Read full article.

Top iPhone Apps Make $400 to $5,000 Per Day On Ads

Now this is interesting. Business Insider reports on companies making revenue from in-app ads.

AdWhirl says that top apps can make $400 to $5,000 per day on ads, averaging an effective CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions) near $2. (That sounds terrible compared to a good Web site, but it's better than Facebook or MySpace apps.)

"Crack the top 100... and developers can earn more than $400 a day," AdWhirl boasts.

Read AdWhirl's report "A Snapshot of the iPhone Advertising Market, May 2009"

How to promote your iphone app

Mobile analytics firm Flurry has info on ways to promote your iphone app or game on the appstore. [via Mobile Messaging]

Now that there’s over 30,000 apps in total, and 6000 games on the appstore it’s become more and more important for developers to actively promote their offering. Flurry offer a number of suggestions including:

-- Free trials: According to Flurry one of the “strongest marketing plays” available to developers on the app store is to offer a free version with an upgrade path to paid.

-- Cross Selling: In a similar way, launching multiple free or paid apps and cross promoting between them is another approach that Flurry recommend.

-- Keywords: Using keywords in your app description ensures that an app or game will get more traffic on the appstore via searches.

Image from Wired Blog.

Developer Runs Boston Marathon Dressed as an iPhone

Jason Jacobs, creator of RunKeeper (an iPhone app for runners to track distance, speed, and other data) dressed as his app and ran in The Boston Marathon to promote it.

[via Switched]

Related: - Why a Giant iPhone is Running a Marathon

New iPhone ad targets small business

One of Apple’s new iPhone ads targets small businesses by showing them how they can use iPhone apps to process credit card transactions, print shipping labels and check on the delivery of an order. [via MacWorld]

“There’s an app for that” has become the standard refrain in a series of television advertisements that Apple runs during prime-time hours on commercial television.

The new ad, entitled “Office” and available for viewing on Apple’s Web site, shows how small business users can use the iPhone to process credit card transactions using Inner Fence’s Credit Card Terminal application; print a shipping label for a package using Print & Share; and check on the status of a delivery with FedEx Mobile.

Charmin sponsors iPhone toilet finder app

Proctor & Gamble's Charmin toilet paper brand will launch a global sponsorship for the SitOrSquat website and its accompanying iPhone and BlackBerry app, designed to identify the world's cleanest public restrooms for consumers who are on-the-go.

According to P&G, SitOrSquat for iPhone and BlackBerry is a Wiki for recording and accessing bathroom information, including data on where to find bathrooms, changing tables, handicap access and other amenities--users may add new content to the service and provide feedback on featured toilets.

So far, SitOrSquat has compiled information on more than 52,000 toilets in 10 countries worldwide--in addition, more than 1,600 users have downloaded the app to their mobile device.

[via FierceMobile Content]

Google advertising appearing in iPhone applications

VentureBeat has spotted Google Ads on iPhone applications. Specifically on restaurant review app and Urbanspoon and they believe in another application, Backgrounds.

Urbanspoon creator Ethan Lowry confirmed that his company and Google have just begun testing these ads. It's still too early to say how Google's offering compares to those of other mobile application developers, but Lowry says that integration was relatively easy.

When you click on an ad, you’re directed to a webkit view of information about the advertiser within the application. Then you can go to the advertiser’s web page. In the screenshot, you can see an ad for a Mediterranean restaurant.

The ads don’t seem to be working very well, though. They’re not targeted to the right city in some instances we’ve seen.

AdMob Is Working On An iPhone App Exchange To Swap Ads For Traffic

With more than 20,000 apps available for the iPhone, standing out from the crowd is becoming harder and harder for app developers. There are only so many slots in the the top apps lists in the iTunes Store. Discovering new apps is becoming a real problem. But what if apps started cross-promoting other apps, just like they do on Facebook? From TechCrunch.

AdMob, which claims to be the largest mobile ad network on the iPhone covering more than 1,000 apps, will be launching an iPhone App Exchange by the end of this month for any developer who is already part of its ad network.

AdMob currently shows ads across 7.2 million iPhones. Developers will be able to volunteer a portion of the ad inventory on their apps to go towards promoting other apps.

In return, their apps will be promoted on other apps in the network. Depending on whether monetization or distribution is more important to them, they will be able to adjust the settings on their AdMob account accordingly.

Since AdMob knows which other apps in the network have been downloaded by each individual, consumers will never be shown ads for apps they already own.

dMob also keeps track of usage after each download, and has come up with a measure it calls “instaliness”—which is a combination of conversions and usage.

The installiness of an app will factor into how often it is shown across the iPhone App Exchange. “Your app will be shown less if your app is bad,” says CEO Omar Hamoui.

Read full article.

Shakeable ads come to iPhone

Levi Strauss-owned apparel brand Dockers is claiming a first with the launch of a shakeable mobile advertisement within iPhone applications. [via Just Style and Full press release]

The shakeable ad, which will be embedded in a number of popular free iPhone applications, uses the device's accelerometer technology to enable users to interact with the ad itself.

Entitled "Shakedown 2 Get Down", the ad features freestyle dance expressionist Dufon, who dances around the screen wearing Dockers Vintage Workwear Khakis.

Launching in March, the ad will run for four weeks within applications such as iBasketball, iGolf, iBowl and iTV.

I've just tried all apps mentioned and the ad does not appear - but it could be appearing only for the US market. Ah, here it is, courtesy of AdAge.

AdBlock blogs unwanted iPhone app ads

Adblock, available for free via Cidia (an iPhone program via which you can download softwares on your Jailbroken iPhone 3G) blocks ads on apps excluding Admob which is needed by many apps to work properly.

[via iPhone Help]

Ad supported App is Free

This is the first time I've seen a free vs pay-for-app presented this way. The free one comes with ads, the pay-for is ad free.

Advertising on apps not always welcome?

I stumbled on this free app, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, after reading an article in TUAW on iPhone reader apps. It appears from what is posted on their app store page, that ads on apps are not always well received:

The non-intrusive ads that were displayed by the latest version of this app were meant to support the developers effort to create a great ebook reader and distribute impressive ebooks.

Unfortunately, this initiative was misinterpreted by a number of users. TWe have therefore DISABLED ads for this application.

GetJar Ads program for apps

A press release of interest to app developers, posted on FierceWireless.

GetJar, a leading independent app store with over 20 million downloads a month, today announced the roll out of its GetJar Ads program to its 200,000 plus mobile application developer community.

GetJar Ads is a new pay-per-performance advertising service that allows developers to display contextual advertising as mobile applications are being used, earning revenue as consumers click on ads.

These new programs will go live for developers starting today.

Read more

Ads appear in Shazam iPhone app

I found another ad, actually several ads - the one captured above is for TV series "24", in another app, this time it's award winning Shazam. Yesterday I reported finding one in a lesser known app called iPage Rank.

Related: JumpTap Forming iPhone App Ad Network

Ad appears in downloaded iPhone app

The first time I've seen this. And it wasn't there yesterday. An add in an iPhone app. It appears on iPage Rank, a free app I'm still trying out because it still has some bugs and has been getting updates.

In case you haven't done this yet, you can take screen shots of your iPhone by holding down the home button and then pushing the top button.