The Apple Store - 6 facts about marketing strategy for iPhone Apps

Consultant in Marketing Design, Stephane Bertoux is aYou walk past her, she offers a smile to taste a cup.
specialist in mass market consumer and retail, forIf you have a bit hungry, time, or you're stingy, you
which he was a consultant for twenty years (3M,will take the cup and drink. That's all. And you will buy
BASF, Carrefour, Masterlock ...).the brand  you want and maybe even ground
It is also the author of iPhone applicationcoffee.
TheBrandGenerator.If you are already a consumer of Nescafe (and
you're hungry, thirsty ...), you take the cup. You will
The Apple Store - 6 facts about marketing strategyfind it's nice from your brand to give you a small
for iPhone Apps.unexpected gift, and to share with others my brand,
The App Store (which sells application for iPhone andand this gives you self-value (self-enhancement: "My
iTouch) is a great business model for Apple, ofbrand gives gift to everyone, it's really a nice brand,
course, which holds a global distribution network,my brand"). Maybe you will think that there is not so
integrated, with no storage costs or purchases frommuch coffee at home and you will buy one. And if it
suppliers software (Apple surrenders a percentage ofwas on the shopping list ... you would have bought
amounts paid by buyers).anyway.
There is currently no verified models, each oneAnd if you do not like coffee: zero effect.
launched their apps into the market a little groping, byYou did not even saw the promoter.
changing its pricing practice and its strategy days5- Fact 5. Viral marketing and on store promotion :
after days.when the promotion kills the viral communication.
A key question that arises is the use of freeYou are a Chinese countryman which has just arrived
application, to attract consumers and then switch toin town.
full versions, paid. The other issue is the level of priceYou learn plenty, you've never seen so many things,
elasticity with respect to what the consumer is willingstrange things which you had no idea. Yet it is
to pay.written in Chinese, yet you do not understand well.
In response, the analogy of the Hypermarket, theYou see the girl with her cup, coffee is written.
Nescafé and China seems to be the best way toWhat's the coffee? Something for long-nose,
understand how this market works.certainly, it must be disgusting, it's complicated,
1- Fact 1. Not seen, not sold. The hypermarket's ruleswhat's the point? So complicated that you dare not
applies to the AppleStore.even get close to the girl, you're afraid of being
The Apple Store (80 000 references) is a largethought a fool.
hypermarket. With shelves and products inside. TheYou get back into your construction camp, where 15
consumer comes through the door of the App Store,of your mates housed during construction. One of
and then visits the various departments: Games,your neighbors offers you a of coffee, but before
Business, Comics, Books, Education ....explaining you how to drink it, when, and why it's
At the entrance of each department, at the head ofgood, and even it gives status! When you will hit
the shelves, the Best Sellers. In the department, weyour pay, you will buy it, and bring it back to the
find first the good sellers. And after, the low sellers.village, to show that you are not anymore a peasant.
The more sales declines, the more they go to theIf by cons you tasted the coffee offered by the
bottom of the shelves.demonstrator, because she was pretty, you would
2- Fact 2. New market, new products, newimmediately spat out: "Bouah, what's that thing wich
consumers : new ways to buy.stinks vomit? Another devilish long-nose thing ! " And
An Hypermarket in China. Why in China? There,returned to barracks you have told your friend: "You
consuming is very recent. And our Chinese friendsdrink this yucky stuff you? I tasted, it's not for me!"
are like all of us in the Apple Store.Nescafe is relatively expensive for a Chinese, but
We are just walking there, we look, we discover, webecause it's a good product and well done. There are
buy a little. We take our time reading labels in thenow Chinese brands, although cheaper, certainly not
products. By discovering a whole bunch of stuff thatso good (the consumer thinks as it's cheaper, it's
we did not know before. Or things that we knew,worst). Nestlé can sell much cheaper, but they will
but presented differently packaged. And manyhave no longer the ressources to do so much
promotion girls, so pretty, giving us for free to testcommunication. And the margin will  decline
and to taste new food.dramatically (this is not a linear curve).
3- Fact 3. Promotion or not promotion, that’s the6- Fact 6. Have an adapted strategy with the apps
question !kinds.
And Nescafe? Coffee is a new product in China,All this applies perfectly to the App Store: to offer a
which is marked by high statut level. I drink coffee, Ifree test is a good strategy, if the apps is a simple
am modern, as an American. Furthermore it isand know concept (a racing game), and if there is a
expensive, I can afford. And coffee is both virile andstrong competitive environment. Communication will
gives good health, it makes walking neurons morehelp with offering consumers little more (tips,
efficiently. Nescafe is experiencing a strong success intutorial,...)
China, thanks to a very important advertisingFor a product more complicate, new for the
investment and a massive presence of facilitators inconsumer: it will not work, there is even a risk to kill
the stores to promote coffe.the product by a negative buzz.
You are therefore in a hypermarket in Shanghai inHaving a low price is necessary if it is a staple stuff,
the aisle which passes the department of coffee. Atwith great competition. If the apps has some
the department entrance, a nice promotion girl of theinteresting functions or marketing differences, then
Nescafe brand, white shirt, red vest, black skirt : shethe consumer will be willing to pay the price.
awaits behind his booth.And the consumer will be a product ambassador, as
4- Fact 4. Promotion can be only brandhe has paid a "good" price an application that he will
communication. Are brands so important in theuse it, and being it's own demonstrator.
AppStore?