SXSW interactive summary – Extending Your Brand? There’s an App for That

Event description: For many, brand extension into the digital realm means a Web site, a banner add, a viral campaign. But applications can extend conversations and perceptions of a brand, as well as add to discussions and ideas in compelling new ways. How can applications help your brand and idea be more authentic, genuine, user friendly, and just plain old fun? Learn from the folks that are making it happen. This panel is sponsored by Microsoft Silverlight.

This panel was very interesting and went into the different ways information that is dispersed has altered over the past few years, what constitutes a good and bad application and how brands should be interacting with their users. Maritt Colaizzi writes more about the panels favourite apps in her blog post App experts name favorites and you can read a transcript of the panel from Rachel Clark here.

In the past, a reduction in size meant a reduction in functionality. In today’s market, people expect a reduction in form size, but not performance. Mobility doesn’t mean lack in functionality.

Brands are now being defined more about how consumers talk about them versus what can the brand do for the consumers. If you aren’t actively engaging with your customers in a dialog, you’ll never have a lasting relationship with them. Brands need to focus on user centric design – you need to understand your customers, their pain, how you can fill in the gaps and improve their experiences. Look for opportunities to build something that your users  will actually find useful. Provide a utility for your customers.

Building applications should become easier and faster over time. Apps that play the role of micro-sites are pointless and don’t change behaviour, when apps should reward behavioural change. Applications are not relevant for all companies; as a memory point, yes, but do you want to converse with your toothpaste company?

Brands can learn from foursquare that it’s not just about connecting with friends, it’s also about incentives, social status and advice from people you trust.

What makes a good app? They don’t need to look like the website – they should provide a different function, different experience for the user or you are wasting their time. A micro-site is not an app. Where applicable builders should include geo-location (newspaper apps for example) and social features (New York Times app was specifically mentioned). Marketing departments need to start thinking like online developers.

When should a brand build their app or just sponsor? If there is passion around your brand, it offers great content, a utilitarian use or changes on a regular basis, then build your own app.

The future? The iPad will offer a compelling touch interface to interact with from a creative perspective and a new form of metrics will need to be put in place. Applications spike at the beginning, then tail down in length. Length is a new metric (i.e. 3 sessions/month for 10 mins each) and ROI on apps is often questionable unless extremely successful.

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