CEO Alistair Crane on the importance of multiple platforms.
Brands? There are apps for those. But many of them are still only available for iPhone, restricting their reach.
Even when brand-owners and their agencies accept that it’s about time they looked at other platforms like Android, BlackBerry and Symbian, the expectation of eye-watering development costs and porting hassles can put them off.
Grapple Mobile is one of the companies trying to help them. The company creates apps for brands across multiple platforms and handsets, claiming to be able to target 97% of mobile users. Its pitch is that it can build these apps in a matter of weeks, for 25% of the traditional cost of creating an iPhone app.
In June, the company announced partnerships with ten European agencies to use its platform for their clients, including big names like Ogilvy, LBi and McCann London. “But we’re also engaging directly with major brands in practically every sector,” says CEO Alistair Crane, talking to ME.
“FMCG, automotive, travel, charities... Brand managers need to reach as many people as they can, so there’s massive interest in platforms beyond the iPhone.”
He cites BlackBerry as an example: not only are brands interested in making BlackBerry apps to target an “affluent business audience”, but they’re also keen to capitalise on RIM’s burgeoning audience of young people, who spend their time hammering the BlackBerry Messenger application.
“No youth brand can now afford to ignore BlackBerry,” says Crane. “Chat clients aren’t new, but this one seems to have more traction than anything else.”
He admits that some brands have been put off non-iPhone platforms by the quality of their app stores, worrying that their apps will sink without trace. Actually, Crane disagrees, pointing out that for BlackBerry, Android and Nokia, apps aren’t just restricted to the official app stores.
When Grapple made an app for the Green Party earlier this year, it allowed people with those handsets to download it over the air by visiting the party’s website, for example. “If anyone says you shouldn’t develop for other platforms because of the app stores, that argument is null and void,” he says.
Grapple is trying to move fast at a time when there’s no shortage of companies jostling for brands’ apps business. Crane claims that one advantage Grapple has that it talks their language when pitching for work.
“We’re more geared to service the media business,” he says. “We’ll talk about campaign spend, which is something most developers really struggle to do. Instead of charging 80-100 grand to make an app, we’re looking at 20-30, and offering reach so they come back time and time again.”
That’s an interesting idea: that brands could be releasing a series of apps tying into their marketing campaigns, rather than one umbrella app that tries to do it all.
“Does Coca-Cola only have one website?” says Crane, rhetorically. “For sure, you might have one more dominant strand in terms of an app for a brand, but there’s no reason why you wouldn’t have one to promote, say, the sale or changes to a menu. But only as long as it can be created for the right price, reach the right people and drive the business metrics.”
What are brands and their agencies looking for from apps made by the likes of Grapple? Crane says that location is much in demand, as is delivering offering and incentives based on someone’s profile information and location. Mobile vouchers are big, in other words.
Crane also says brands are hungry for analytics so they can understand how people are using their apps. Interestingly, he says that while there’s still a rush for brands to get into the apps game, they’re increasingly keen not to be made mugs of in the process.
“It’s almost more dangerous for brands to do nothing than to do something in this space,” he says. “But agencies are quite tired of having their knuckles rapped for purchasing frivolous activity that doesn’t do much for their clients’ businesses.”
One potential challenge for Grapple and its peers is the launch of Apple’s iAd network, which is already signing up some big brands to create what are effectively mini-apps, which then sit inside other apps and games. They might divert funds to that, rather than spending money creating apps for multiple smartphones.
Is it a threat? Crane says he welcomes it, while pointing out a potential flaw. “Big spend is great in anything, but it’s only good for the industry if it works. A million dollar price tag on a campaign is fine if that campaign provides results, but if not it’s a monumental burn of cash. But Apple are blazing a trail...”
He’s also keen to talk up the potential of Nokia’s Ovi platform in particular, despite regular criticism of the Ovi Store for not being as slick as Apple’s App Store in particular.
“Ovi is going to offer marketers a really great opportunity on scale,” says Crane. “I don’t think the hardware will always be able to offer the most beautiful consumer experience, but I think it will offer a compelling marketing experience – you’ll be able to deliver a message to a serious amount of users in a timely manner.”
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