Tech Talk: Relationships still rule with apps 

Posted: 8:07 pm Thu, December 16, 2010
By Mark Maloney
Special to The Daily Record

The age of the app is upon us.

It seems that everyone — from consumer brands to celebrities — is launching mobile applications these days. Why? Because the media landscape has become irreparably fragmented and they’re looking for any possible way to connect with their audiences. With more than 7 billion downloads from the Apple App Store alone since its launch in 2008 and an expected 25 billion annually by 2015, this strategy certainly appears to make sense.

However, creating a successful piece of software is far different than creating a successful advertisement. An ad is about you. Software is about users. This may seem elementary. But unless you truly understand your audience, you’re never going to be able to give them something that they’ll want to use.

Without utility, there is no value. Without value, there is no point. It is, well, useless.

Software and brand relevance

From a business perspective, however, it’s not enough to simply offer something useful to your customers. That’s the 2010 version of the real estate agent kitchen magnet: it’s a nice gesture but what does it have to do with selling houses? Software, both Web-based and deployed as an application, provides a unique opportunity to bring relevance to your brand and to bring utility to users, all in the context of your business offering.

Three prime examples of this are Oakley’s Surf Report app, REI’s Snow and Ski Report, and The North Face’s Trailhead app. These companies understand that they are in the business of outfitting adventurers. And they have designed apps that do the same –- while presenting a user experience with the tone and manner specific to their brands.

Do you get it?

Oakley’s Surf Report app, for instance, was developed under the selfless insight that their customers are far more concerned about finding gnarly swells than they are about shopping for clothing and sunglasses. So, rather than exploit the platform as a channel for e-commerce, the company took a powerfully restrained long view and developed a mobile experience centered on utility and community —- a wise strategy for an innovative lifestyle brand.

The app takes an existing data feed (from Surfline.com) and wraps it in a branded interface, enabling users to easily browse surf conditions and forecasts from across the globe. It also includes content on the Oakley surfing team, further extending the value of its sponsorship investment.

By creating an app that encourages deeper brand engagement, Oakley has shown that they get it. Oakley understands that business isn’t about transactions, it’s about relationships. And the company understands that technology doesn’t supersede those relationships. It makes it easier for us to maintain them.

And doesn’t every business ultimately come down to relationships? Even in the age of the app.

Mark Maloney is the founder of The Design Office of Mark Maloney, which specializes in interactive strategy and user experience design. He co-founded Baltimore-based no|inc and was creative director at Grassroots Enterprise, a division of Edelman. He can be reached at markjmaloney@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter, @markjmaloney.