A common mistake Brand Managers make when it comes to digitizing their brand is treating mobile apps as a check box. I've encountered this misstep too many times at work. Having an app isn't just about having a mobile presence.
With the evolving technology, comes an evolved audience. Consumers get even more selective when it comes to who (read: what brands) they're welcoming onto their doorstep—much less inside the house! With the way consumers are interacting with their mobile devices, the mobile space has been elevated to such a prime real estate for brands to build their consumer relationship in. It's not only about getting on to consumers' mobile screens, it's about staying on. The key is to provide an app that offers a true value to your customer.
There are countless different ways to engage with consumers in the mobile space. Most offers values such as utility, information, or entertainment—or even a combination of all three.
Mountain Dew® Baja or Bust
Mountain Dew might not be as big a name as Pepsi or Coke in the carbonated beverage category, but it sure knows how to play to its strength. Mountain Dew has a large following in the male 13-25 year old category. It's been focusing its brand messages around being active and outdoorsy. A big chunk of their marketing spend usually goes to action sports athletes sponsorships (think skateboarding, BMX biking, motocross). In 2007, they expanded their marketing efforts to include sponsorships of indie game designers and players, in attempt to capture the video-gaming subculture.
Mountain Dew launched the Baja or Bust app to accompany the release of its Baja Blast flavor (previously only available at Taco Bell—another ingenious brand strategy). The app allows you to essentially play motocross challenges and earn points that can be redeemed for Mountain Dew merchandises, drink, and even a free trip. You can get extra points by checking in to Taco Bell, by inviting others to play via social media channels, or by putting in codes available in Mountain Dew Baja Blast bottle caps.
The app has been rated 4.5/5 stars, and received over 1,200 reviews on the app store. Not a small feat considering Candy Crush's popular sequel game, Soda Saga, had also received a similar rate and review. So what did Mountain Dew do right in developing this captivating app?
Stick with a familiar gaming mode
This type of racing game module has been around since video game was invented. There is not much of a learning curve aside from familiarizing ourselves with the controls. Remember, your audience has a very short attention span, so sticking with something they already know would ultimately lead to a positive brand impression.
Give your audience a real incentive
Mountain Dew actually offers real, tangible prizes people can trade in their points for. The prizes vary from a beach ball (48,000 pts), hoodies (375,000 pts), to winning a trip to Arizona (17,000,000 pts). These are all great incentive to spur sales and usage of the app. In addition to that, the game itself is actually challenging enough to motivate people to come back and play. Remember, it's not just about getting on the screen, it's about staying on.
Intuitive UX and Branding
At the time of writing this blog, I have only had the app for less than 6 hours. I've managed to complete 1 out of 12 worlds in the game (each has 10 sub-levels), and collected a meager 1,350 pts (I blame my poor hand-eye coordination skills). Point is, I know enough to operate the game the way it's intended solely through good User Interface design. Sure, the game provides an initial walk-through, but I decided to skip through all that to really put its UI and UX to the test. I have to say, the game passed with flying colors. I immediately know where to find rewards information, where the close button for each overlay, where the settings are, etc. Everything was labeled correctly, and designed with the user in mind.
In terms of branding and design of the app itself, I have to commend their creative team. They managed to wrap the game in Mountain Dew branding without having to jam it down your throat. The game feels like it could stand on its own, yet you also can't help but sense the brand presence. Aside from the main page, there are no pesky brand message pop-ups riddling the gameplay. As a marketer, you need to know when to push and when it's better to pull. In this case, Mountain Dew lets its brand message shines through the game itself.
Ultimately, it all comes down to a good understanding of your own brand. Where is it standing in the market? How do you want to position it? What is it that you want the consumer to take away from their experience with your brand? Mountain Dew double backflip its way to hit these sweet spots with the Baja or Bust app.
Make sure you spend the necessary time to build on brand strategy before deciding to launch an app for your brand. Know who your audience are, what entertains them, what leaves them wanting more. An under developed app will only leave a bad taste in your consumer's mouth, and it sure will affect the way they perceive your brand.
Stick with the kiddie ramp until you're absolutely sure launching an app is a necessary marketing step your brand needs to take.
