By Lindsey Kin

Technology here, technology there, technology is growing faster and faster everywhere. With that said, it’s hard to imagine that one of the first forms of ‘technological’ communication was the telegraph - in today’s day and age, mention this to your average teenager and they’ll think you’re talking Chinese. With the rise in tech-savvy innovations and the fast-paced development of the social media space, the next trend growing like wild fire is that of the mobile app. This week, I investigate the sudden upsurge of the mobile app and its effect on the publishing industry.

So, where has this impulsive need for mobile apps come from? COUP’s Online Marketer, Gavin Coetzee, feels that the proliferation of smart phones and the corresponding decrease in data charges have made it more common place for the general public to have a need for, as well as, access to, mobile apps. Karen van Zyl, Marketing Executive for Newsclip, explains, “Social engagement demands constant communication, so why not communicate and engage through your phone as it’s fast, easy and ultimately effective.” The attribute of connecting with consumers on a personal level in real-time allows for that intimate social engagement and immediacy that today’s ‘time-poor’ society feeds on.

It’s important to note that today’s tech-savvy individual is shifting away from simply sticking to their desktop computer, and moving towards their mobile phone - what they used to only be able to do on their computer, they are now able to do on the go at any time, all off of one device. Artwell Nwaila, founder of Creative Uhuru, brings to light the fact that app’s have been around for a long time, and that all the software we use on our PCs are apps. “What makes mobile and tablet apps so popular is that we now get the feeling of having a PC in our pockets. What makes it even more exciting is that developers are willing to personalise the app to such a niche that our needs are met easier. There are apps for everything, even toilet etiquette.” Nwaila reiterates that apps create a feeling of having everything in one place all the time. What has also led to the mobile app becoming so popular amongst mobile users, is that phones have evolved into physical bookmarking platforms - the app is what you bookmark and access whenever you want, wherever you are - this was unheard of 10 years ago. Nwaila further adds that today’s society has become lazy, and in turn, this has influenced the rise in mobile apps. “Why I say laziness is because we can simply type the URL and get the same information and more on the mobi site.”

Van Zyl reveals that more and more companies are beginning to realise that they need to be in the mobile space, as this is where ‘everyone’ is at. “If you don’t have a mobi site for your website, then I’m sorry… you’re lagging behind. In South Africa specifically, that’s the one thing most of the population has… a mobile phone – whether it’s a smart phone or not.” It was estimated in 2010 that there are approximately 10- to 12-million WAP-enabled cell phone users in South Africa, and according to the Goldstuck (2010) report, for 450 000 of these cell phone users, the primary function for their mobile phones is the internet.

Dr Sarah Britten, Head of Strategy at Y&R Johannesburg, recently divulged at The Journal of Marketing Breakfast Debate on Decoding the Dark Art of Public Relations that she gets all of her news online. “I don’t read newspapers anymore, and I’m fascinated, because the ability of the print media in particular to control the message is being diluted by what’s happening …” In the same way, from a mobile perspective, van Zyl believes that more and more people will eventually read the daily news on their mobiles instead of buying a newspaper or reading it on their PC - It’s easy news on the go. Nwaila explains that this will definitely be a beneficial addition to publishers and their brands, the most obvious reason being the new real estate for advertising. Publications such as COUP, Junkmail, CAR, Getaway, Soccer Laduma, YOU, Cosmopolitan, heat, Men’s Health, Shape, FHM and Sports Illustrated, to name but a few, have jumped onto this ‘digital’ band wagon.

And as the saying goes, consumers like to stick to what they know. Mobile web is simply a smaller and more convenient form of what they already have access to on their desktop computers. “Navigation of the mobile web resembles the early days of the internet, where directories dominated and guided users on their journey. Services like the Best of the Mobile Web play an important role in acclimatising users to mobile sites. These touch points are as significant for publishers to be involved in as traditional mediums,” says Elan Lohmann, General Manager at Avusa Media LIVE.

It is easy to see why this obsession with the mobile app is not a www.totallymad.co.za/?IDStory=30604, but rather has become a trend that is taking off like wild fire and one that will continue to boom in the years to come. With the introduction of more hand held devices will come the introduction of more mobile apps – although content may still be king, convenience is queen, and like with all marriages, the wife always comes first. For today’s ‘time-poor’ society, expediency is imperative and if reading my favourite magazine on my mobile phone will save me that trip and petrol to the local shopping mall, why not – however, I do wonder how good is reading off a mobile phone is for your eyes.

What is your take on the mobile app frenzy, have you conformed yet? What are your favourite apps at the moment and why? Share your thoughts with us on our blog.