Michael Learmonth contributed a great article to Advertising Age (June 3, 2009) http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=137069Everyone is on the App bubble, but the devil is in the detail or as Michael points out the marketing support.
With nearly 48,000 iPhone applications in circulation, it's easy to forget how young the mobile "app economy" really is. The iTunes App Store has been around only 11 months; it registered its billionth download after nine months.
It all sounds good. Probably too good.
There's a myth that there's easy money out there," he said as part of a panel of mobile experts at the CaT: Creativity and Technology conference in New York, hosted by Advertising Age and Creativity. "Most apps don't make any money, so it's really about publicity."
Increasingly, apps have to be supported by traditional marketing; otherwise they have little chance of making it to many iPhone screens. "The App Store is not a marketing vehicle; it is a distribution vehicle," said Raven Zachary, president of digital creative firm Small Society.
As dominant as Apple has been in the field of mobile applications and smartphones, the panel stressed it's still early. The gold rush may be over, but an era of truly useful apps that enable commerce and turn mobile phones into devices that control other devices is upon us.
I think Michael is right on target. The opportunity is still there, but it is a marketing opportunity not a get rich quick scheme. Just don't forgot to support it with traditional marketing.
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