2011 trends in apps that AppCarousel embraced in 2012

A case study highlighting the power of good market research

In the summer of 2011, Wmode, a leading provider of digital media solutions to wireless carriers and telcos, decided to launch a new business targeting the new wave of organizations getting involved in the app space.  That business is AppCarousel, which is going from strength to strength in 2012, thanks in no small part to intelligence provided in industry reports such as VisionMobile’s annual research report series entitled Developer Economics (get a copy of the 2011 report here).

As part of the formation of AppCarousel, Wmode undertook extensive research into the changing nature of the app economy, the trends that were shaping the market, and the needs of brands, publishers, media companies, developers and enterprises. One of the reports that Wmode accessed was Developer Economics 2011, VisionMobile’s seminal research report on apps, developers and brands going mobile.

There were several themes in the 2011 report that AppCarousel embraced, and which have become widely acknowledged in 2012 as key industry issues. The list that follows is extracted from the Key Messages section of the 2011 report;

• “Use of mobile web accelerates” – AppCarousel designed its platform from the outset to be content agnostic, so that as mindshare moves from native apps to web apps, AppCarousel’s platform can continue to showcase all manner of content types in a single store.  This is particularly relevant for the TV sector where HTML5 apps present new opportunities in 2012.
• “Experimentation on the rise” – AppCarousel was built from the ground up to be fast to deploy, with maximum flexibility in both the back-end and the user interface, enabling AppCarousel’s partners and customers to experiment in the market to see what resonates with their increasingly savvy end-users.
• “Commissioned vs. direct monetization” – Developers that realize there’s more to life than putting a paid app in a big store and hoping for the best are increasingly getting involved in merchandising, bundling and affiliate models. With this in mind AppCarousel was architected to embrace these changing business models as they emerge in 2012.
• “Role of operators” – While operator app stores remain popular, there is an increasing need to get those stores – and the unique content within them – discovered alongside the handset stores from Apple, Android and BlackBerry. Therefore, AppCarousel was designed to showcase great content in one place, wherever that content happens to reside, which is proving to be a great way to drive traffic to operator stores in 2012.
• “App stores are a one-way street” – AppCarousel realized that in any market where there are two or three giant players, including the dominant Apple and Google, new entrants emerge that don’t want to rely on those distribution options. Instead they want to differentiate themselves and retain control of their brands and supply chains.  This has created a whole new wave of smaller app stores, in markets including TV, where their needs are different, and where AppCarousel can address their specific needs.
• “Developer segmentation” – As with any maturing market, specialization takes shape, and with that comes the requirement to group apps more logically and to target those groups of apps more effectively to the right users.  AppCarousel set out to address that opportunity via its niche showcases of highly focused apps and associated content.
• “Brands go mobile” – A brand cares about one thing over and above everything else; its brand. VisionMobile’s report predicted the rise of branded apps, so AppCarousel adopted a white-label approach, allowing brands like CBS Interactive to brand their showcase experience and to rise above the app stores where their content is hosted.
• “Multi-screen future” – One of the big takeaways from the 2011 report was that 2012 would be more than simply developing apps for smartphones and tablets; industries like TV would become ready for apps.  Much of AppCarousel’s 2012 activities are centred on helping companies in the home entertainment sector to make apps a part of their solution.

Now for the 2012 report – and how you can get involved

Because AppCarousel benefitted from the insight provided by Developer Economics 2011, the team decided to support the 2012 edition by becoming a VisionMobile Media Partner at the request of the VisionMobile team. In this role, AppCarousel is encouraging all developers in the mobile ecosystem to get involved by completing the 2012 survey, which is open until the end of April. In addition to prizes for taking the survey, the biggest prize – in AppCarousel’s opinion – is access to Developer Economics 2012 when the results of the survey will be published as a free report in late June.

Terry Hughes, AppCarousel’s Managing Director, commented: “With so many reports and so much noise out there, it’s great to look back on the predictions made in Developer Economics 2011, and review AppCarousel’s founding principles, and see that they were broadly accurate as the app market plays out in 2012.”  Hughes added: “We encourage all members of the development community to give their input and take the survey, and to leverage the 2012 report in their strategic planning.”

To take part in the Developer Economics 2012 survey before it closes on April 30, to win prizes for completing the survey, and to be sure of receiving the report when it is published, go to www.visionmobile.com/appcarousel or click the image below.