garciamedia

May. 11th Those smartphones and newspapers: great potential exists

USA Today and iPhone: perfect fit for the newspaper for people on the go and their smartphone readily handy at all times

Right now, iPhone’s App Store is one of the most used outlets to download applications from newspapers, allowing users to read on the phone itself. However, other choices are quickly coming to the upfront.  One of the most important is Google’s Android Market, but Nokia and Microsoft have announced opening of the Ovi Store and Windows Marketplace for Mobile.

What does this mean to newspapers?

1. A newspaper can target a specific audience group. Sometimes, groups of users who are difficult to catch for the traditional print product, are already making use of iPhone or other mobile phones. Great marketing possibility to get the newspaper’s brand out front.

2. Deciide if you wish to develop an application for one especially targeted group. In Germany, the popular Bild Zeitung has an appication for the iPhone devoted to the German football league.

3. Decide on how the content will be accessed—-free or paid for?  The

IFRA Magazine ( April 2009) reveals that mobile phone users, and especially smartphone users, are willing to pay for it.

4. Will there be advertising or sponsors?

How others do it

USA Today: launched its free application in December 2008 and its application is currently one of the most popular on the iPhone App Store.

The application allows readers to access the daily’s printed content in all of its well known sections: News, Business, Sports, Life.

For USA Today, these applications are a perfect fit. The newspaper started in 1985 as a daily newspaper for people on the go, travelers, busy people.  Right now, those on the go keep their mobile phones handy and prefer to get all of their information there.

Importatnt point: most of USA Today’s mobile applications are ad supported.

Straits Times of Singapore: the application is a big hit with users. Their iPhone experience has been so successful that they are already developing a similar application with Google’s Android operating system.

London’s The Telegraph—this popular British daily has opted for the Android system.

In this case, the application is not just a 100% transfer of the newspaper’s content to the mobile telephone. Instead, there is a whole new sector developed around News from Around the United States.  The Telegraph’s editors don’t ruile out opting to appear on other mobile phone applications in the future, and assert that many good advertising possibilities are present with smartphones, waiting to be explored.

For more information:

The IFRA Magazine devoted its cover story in the April 2009 edition to The Smartphone Revolution: Native applications ignite the mobile publishing charge
www.iframagazine.com

Hotels and paying for wireless internet

It is as inconsistent as the comfort of your bed or the softness of your pillow. You check into a hotel anywhere in the world, and then you soon find out how much it will cost you to connect to the Internet.

In Europe, I usually pay about 24 euros for 24 hours of Internet access. Sometimes it is 18 euros, and, on rare occasions, it is free (but don’t count on it).  In the United States, it is mostly free, I must admit, or a nominal $12.  However, here also, no consistent pattern exists.

I am constantly annoyed with this payment. Don’t ask me why, but I think that hotels should offer this expected, necessary convenience free. I promised myself that I would mention it here to see if someone at the top listens.

Although I imagine that, like those mini bars one reaches out to when hungry before going to sleep, the Internet fee helps the hotels make an extra profit.

I can live without that Toblerone chocolate bar, but probably couldn’t without Internet access.

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TheMarioBlog posting #259

 

 

Posted by Dr. Mario R. Garcia on May 11, 2009