Indiana University research shows power of mobile marketing

A study co-authored by an Indiana University professor shows that mobile applications designed for a specific brand offer an extremely effective marketing tool.

The report shows that branded apps can make consumers more interested in certain product categories, and the users are more engaged if the tool is informational or utilitarian, rather than simply for entertainment purposes.

Robert F. Potter, director of the Institute for Communication Research at IU Bloomington and an associate professor of telecommunications in the IU College of Arts and Sciences, said people tend to have deeper personal connections with mobile devices than they do with websites.

"One benefit of the mobile app is that you go, you get it and you download the app - it's now yours," he said. "It may be a deeper level of interactivity."

The report noted that consumers' attachment to their smartphones presents more opportunities for advertisers, but that they need to change their tactics for conversing with prospective customers.

Amazon has already jumped on the opportunities presented by mobile apps. Direct Marketing News reports that the ecommerce giant has created the Price Check mobile app, which allows shoppers to compare product prices in the store and rewards those who opt to make a purchase on the website instead.