Are Branded Applications More Effective as Toys or Tools?

Jun 01, 2009•Blog Posts•Mobile Marketing•Online & Digital Media• by author

Nancy B.

Agencies and clients alike have been quick to jump on the “app wave,” accurately forecasting how apps can serve as a fresh medium to target and reach consumers. However, with the glut of apps available (ranging from the frivolous “Toss the Sheep a Pie!” application to the useful gas station locator) clients and agencies have been posed with the following question: Should branded applications serve as toys or as tools?

Tom Martin at Advertising Age believes the latter, stating, “I don’t buy the tool, I buy the solution the tool delivers. And that is the power of tool apps. You can build apps that virtually solve a consumer challenge while politely linking your client’s brand to that solution. In fact, built correctly, you can actually charge people to buy a tool app.”

In a nutshell, Martin believes that branded toy apps, while novel and fun, are simply diversions that do not necessarily convert or reinforce loyalty to the brand. And while he makes a good point, it is hardly a black and white issue.

Successfully combining the toy and tool aspect of an app could unlock a new consumer appreciation for a brand. For example, a car manufacturer could incorporate service reminders, coupons and dealership locations into a racing game featuring the flagship car into its applications. Not only would this provide a link between utility and the brand image, but it also associates entertainment and desirability to the brand’s product.

However, as a few commentators to Tom Martin’s blog pointed out, does a sugary kid’s cereal really need a tool app for its branding? ‘Coco Berry Crisp’ could greatly benefit from whimsical toy apps that reflect its branding as well as provide an incentive (i.e. complete the Coco Berry Crisp maze and receive a $1.00 off coupon). Point and case: not all branding neatly fits into the ‘tool app’ box, nor should they.

Generating a lasting brand image, as well as creating and maintaining a loyal consumer should be what an application strives to achieve. The means used to get there relies on an understanding of the product and the consumer. Whether it is a toy app for a summer blockbuster or a tool app for financial services, the result should be an interactive way for clients and agencies to express their brand in a useful and lasting way to the consumer.