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Best Practices Case Study

How The Jonas Brothers Used Mobile to Build and Strengthen Their Fan Base

Powered by Mobile Roadie, The Jonas Brothers app has been downloaded over 221,000 times and is a great example of how apps can be powerful tools for artists to build and strengthen a fan base.

The Jonas Brothers use their app as a way to connect and form relationships directly with their fans that goes beyond their music. By continually updating their app with new and exclusive content they incentivize fans to both download the app and continue to check it time and time again.

On August 30 The Jonas Brothers posted a YouTube video informing fans that a live event would stream through their app on September 2, and encouraged fans to download it beforehand to tune in. They also published an in-app poll asking users “What city do you want the Jonas Brothers to visit on their next tour?” and giving them the chance to share the question with their friends over social media to introduce even more fans to the app. In span of just three days the poll received 17,232 replies from fans eager to see in the band perform in their hometown.

When the time arrived for the live event, 130,000 fans used the app to access the Ustream section and hear news that many of them had been waiting for a long time to hear: The Jonas Brothers were going back on tour. Ecstatic Jonas Brothers fans took to the Fan Wall, an in-app feature allowing users to post thoughts and comments to each other, to celebrate the news and share in the excitement. In the period after the band made the announcement, the Fan Wall recorded 11 hours of continuous posting from fans which averaged several posts a second. Their excited fans didn’t just want to use the app to learn the latest news, they wanted to share the excitement with other fans from around the world and be a part of a larger community. The conversation that their announcement created continued long after the band had finished their stream because users weren’t just an audience; they were a community of Jonas Brothers fans.

Over Labor Day weekend their app recorded 23,453 unique hits, proving that correctly utilizing Mobile Roadie’s simple tools can translate into big results. Successful mobile apps like the Jonas Brothers’ don’t simply deliver media or information, they build lasting relationships that retain their users beyond the first use. When the band chose to deliver the news to their fans live through their app, they connected with them much more directly than any press release. The announcement introduced their app to more fans and created a memorable experience for users that transformed the app into a necessity for any fan.

Watch their live event preview announcement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np2EBdDkz_8
Watch a recording of the actual live event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rztqqXcL674

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Best Practices Case Study

Major League Gaming Finds Success in Mobile

Launched at the start of 2011 in Google’s Android Market and Apple’s App Store, the Major League Gaming (MLG) official app powered by Mobile Roadie has built an impressive community of gamers from all corners of the globe from South Africa to Saudi Arabia. With over 70,000 downloads and counting, the MLG app is the perfect example of how mobile apps can target an existing niche community to promote activity and engagement through a new channel in addition to a popular website.

The MLG official app adds another dimension of engagement by allowing gamers to check competition scoreboards, view the MLG event schedule, read about MLG news, comment in forums and on the fanwall, watch videos, and much more right on their phone. MLG members are embracing the app with approximately 6.5 million page views, over 3.6 million fanwall comments from active users, 138,000 video plays, and 76,000 song plays over time.

In addition to targeting a niche community, the MLG app is successful because MLG communicates with app users on a daily basis, rewarding them for being active on the app. Not only do they promote their app on Facebook, Twitter and the MLG website, they take advantage of the push notification system on the CMS at least once a day, utilizing the targeting and reward options available. With push notifications, MLG can stay connected with their app users in an easy way scheduling push notifications around app-only contests, promotions and news; they give away prizes for users who answer questions through the fanwall, announces exclusive codes and updates, and builds anticipation of upcoming promotions like the Xperia PLAY smartphone giveaway seen below:

“This weekend, I’m giving away 2 Xperia PLAY phones, exclusive to the mobile app users! Want to win? Check the app this weekend!”

Through their app, MLG has brought their enormous network of international gamers closer together. Over 70,000 app users, So remember, apps are a great way to encourage community engagement anytime, anywhere.

Engaging with app users on a daily basis, even if it’s as simple as a push notification, keeps users coming back and potential users to take notice of your brand.

Become a “Roadie” and download the official MLG app: http://road.ie/MLG 

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Case Study

Pandas & Polar Bears & Apes…Oh My? San Diego Zoo’s App Takes Animal Lovers to the Wild Side

With more than 5 million visitors each year, the San Diego Zoo is one of the most popular zoos in the world. And with over 4,000 animals of 800 different species roaming around in 9 themed exhibits, the San Diego Zoo has been breaking grounds in animal conservation and research for nearly a century.

Now the San Diego Zoo is sharing their passion for animals with their official app powered by Mobile Roadie.

With Mobile Roadie, the San Diego Zoo team was able to pack 100 acres of content in their app. App sections include an overview of the exhibits, an animal directory, a schedule of events, visitor info, news, and much more. Users can plan their trip to the Zoo right on the app from purchasing tickets to choosing which areas to visit. And once they’re at the zoo, they can use the detailed map to get around.

Launched in December 2011, the San Diego Zoo app immediately appealed to animal lovers worldwide. In the first week of being live, over 5,000 fans downloaded the app. To date, more than 65,000 animal enthusiasts have downloaded the app to watch their favorite animals, tour the Zoo, and learn about what’s being done in the fight to protect wildlife.

In addition to being the perfect tour guide, the Zoo is educating users about the importance of animal conservation. Save Wildlife is a section of the app where users can read about wildlife conservation success stories, and become a wildlife conservancy rockstars to help the Zoo bring species like the Giant Panda back from the “brink of extinction – all part of the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy program.

The most popular section of the San Diego Zoo app is Animal Cam where fans can watch and learn about their favorite zoo animals in real-time. In the first week, the Panda LiveCam was played close to 10,000 times while the Polar Bear LiveCam garnered nearly 8,000 plays. In a month, the plays jumped to over 53,000 and 43,000, respectively.

Given the overwhelming positive response, the Zoo released the Ape LiveCam in coordination with their Absolutely Apes event. Absolutely Apes is a 4-day affair at the Zoo celebrating and bringing awareness to the different species of primates, including the Gorillas, Bonobos, Orangutans, Siamangs, and Gibbons. Fans went absolutely bananas for the Ape Cam, which has been played over 99,000 times and counting.

Up next in the lineup, the Zoo added the Condor Cam for fans to watch resident condor couple Sisquoc & Shatash and their egg. In the News section of the app, fans could learn all about the couple, as well as the incubation period for condor eggs. Since the 1980s when there were only around 22 California condors left in the world, the Zoo launched the California Condor Recovery program. Through that program, the Zoo has hatched 172 chicks and released more than 80 condors into the wild.

This time was even more special because it was the first time a condor hatch was broadcast live at the Zoo. Fans tuned in to take advantage of this rare opportunity. On March 8th, the condor chick started to “pip” or hatch from its shell, which the Zoo alerted fans through a push notification (seen below):

 

The Animal Cams promote daily fan interaction. Having a section The Animal Cams promote daily fan interaction. Having a section of your app constantly updated with new content keeps users coming back often. To date, the Animal Cams have been played over half a million times!

And viewers aren’t just watching these cuddly animals, they’re sharing their passion for wildlife with their friends. Of the 3.4 million section hits, 975,000 hits have been to comments. Users can earn custom Zoo badges inside the app for sharing photos & comments, and checking in on Facebook and Twitter.

The Zoo is also using QR Codes to engage visitors in an exciting way. They launched a QR Code Easter Egg Hunt around the Zoo in conjunction with their Play Days promotion. With 16 eggs in total, each egg scanned improved participants’ chances to win the Ultimate Play Date prize package. 3 eggs were “prize eggs” that when scanned awarded the winners prizes that could be picked up at a Zoo gift shop. Visitors had fun roaming around the Zoo finding and scanning the eggs. Some visitor comments include “[We] had a blast searching and we found all 16 eggs!”and “[I] Found 14 of 16 and 3 were prize winners this morning. Have to go back to find the last two.” Example of an egg below:

With exclusive and entertaining content, the San Diego Zoo app attracts brand-new users who may not have been interested or had access to the Zoo before. Fans from all over the world, as far as Singapore, have downloaded the app. And with the app’s global reach, the Zoo is able to connect more people than ever before to wildlife.

The perfect on-the-go solution for large venues like amusement parks, zoos, and museums are mobile apps. With Mobile Roadie, a venue can create a content-rich app that mobile visitors can use before, during, and after their visit. And if you have live cams of cute, furry animals, you can integrate those in your app as well.

From the beginning, we knew the San Diego Zoo app would be a hit – Come on, who wouldn’t want a portable zoo right on their mobile device?

Become an Animal “Roadie” and download the official San Diego Zoo app, available for iPhone and Android, at http://road.ie/ sandiegozoo.

*Update July 2012: San Diego Zoo app has accumulated over 108,000 downloads and over 6 million section hits in total. The Panda Cam has over 352,000 plays; the Polar Bear Cam has over 270,000 plays; The Ape Cam has over 172,000 plays; and the Condor Cam has over 103,000 plays.

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Best Practices Case Study

LA Kings take the crown with their official app

Since the 1960s, the Los Angeles Kings have been playing on ice rinks across the world, captivating hundreds of thousands of fans along the way.

And as technology has advanced over the years, the LA Kings have been quick to adopt the latest trends (like mobile) to provide a better, more fun experience for fans worldwide.

The Kings wanted to provide “a unique experience” for their fans that “translated well in the mobile space, while providing a place where fans can find out any of the latest news they want to know about the team right at their fingerprints,” Dewayne Hankins, Director of New Media at AEG Sports, explained.

So they turned to Mobile Roadie to help engage their second-screen users, since “watching a Kings game is an inherently social experience” said Dewayne.

Announced on the LA Kings Website, Facebook, and Twitter in January 2012, the Kings app (sponsored by Verizon) catapulted to a spot in the Top 20 free apps in the Sports in the App Store. To date, there are over 48,000 downloads. Fans can’t get enough of the app, evidenced by the positive responses on the Fan Wall.

To engage fans, they utilized our platform’s live streaming capabilities to stream content in real-time. Kings Vision Raw is a popular section in the LA Kings app that “opens up all sorts of behind-the-scenes content that fans crave.” With push notifications, the Kings can send out alerts to fans whenever new content is added to the Videos section. In total, their videos have been played over 296,000 times.

They also use push notifications to alert fans of discounts exclusive to app users.

In addition to watching videos and conversing on the Fan Wall, fans can check the season schedule, the roster, photos, podcasts, standings, and buy tickets. App section hits total 4 million.

And that’s not all! With the app’s ability to reach fans far and wide at the touch of a button, the Kings are bringing awareness to their official charity, the Kings Care Foundation which supports “a variety of health-related, educational and recreational opportunities for youth of Greater LA.”

During the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NHL hosts the Beard-A-Thon, an annual charity competition that raises funds for team charities. Fans raise money by growing beards. For the 2012 Beard-A-Thon, the Kings did a little something special to promote this cause- they created 8 fun Photocards that fans could choose from when taking pictures directly in the app.

These custom Photocards have been a hit! Kings fans are uploading and sharing their Photocards, causing a flurry of bearded fans to populate the app and social networks.

Below is an example of one Beard-A-Thon Photocard:

This year, the LA Kings won the Stanley Cup for the first time in their 45-year history, which they proudly showcased in their app immediately after the win. The Kings are offering something truly unique in their marketplace, making the most of what the Mobile Roadie platform can do for fan engagement and promotion.

Become a “Roadie” and download the official LA Kings app at http://road.ie/lakings

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Best Practices Case Study

Gabriel Iglesias’s official app is not fat… It’s fluffy in a good way.

111 million YouTube video views

3 million Facebook fans

663 thousand YouTube subscribers

634 thousand Google+ circles

355 thousand Fluffy Guy App users

194 thousand Twitter followers

These numbers are anything but small. In fact, these numbers are astronomical…“fluffy” even. Impressive for a standup comedian who came from humble beginnings in Southern California. Now, Gabriel Iglesias, a.k.a. Fluffy, is taking over the world one fluffy joke at a time. He’s tickled the funny bones of millions of fans worldwide with his jokes, his Hawaiian shirt, and his affinity for burritos and cake. And he’s sharing it all via his social networks by posting entertaining content and engaging with his fans on a daily basis.

Gabriel is not just a master in being funny, he also knows how to utilize social networks to amplify his message and thus, his fanbase. By being active on different social networks, he can reach a larger and more diverse audience. So last year, to connect with fans on-the-go, he chose Mobile Roadie to create his own mobile app. In one year of being live, more than 355,000 fans have downloaded Gabriel’s app.

In March 2011, Gabriel announced his app on his Facebook page. 4,488 fans hit the *Like* button, and more than 14,000 downloaded the app. The next day, more than 11,700 fans downloaded it, bringing the total number of downloads to 25,800. And in a week since the announcement, the total number of downloads reached 70,000.

On average, 540 fans download the app daily; however, when Gabriel mentions his app on social networks, the number of downloads breaks records. On March 29, 2011, Gabriel posted a reminder on Facebook that his app was available for download. 3,533 fans *Liked* the post, and more than 12,800 downloaded the app.

On May 31, 2011, Gabriel tweeted about his app to his followers. That day 1,100 followers downloaded the app.

On August 23, 2011, Gabriel posted on Facebook that a big announcement would be revealed in the app the next day. More than 7,000 downloads occurred that day. And on the reveal day, close to 3,000 fans downloaded the app.

Gabriel uses the app to announce tour dates and promote videos and audio clips that fans can purchase. The most popular section of the app is Comments with close to 2.3 million hits, followed closely behind by Audio with 2.2 million hits. In fact, Fluffy’s Audio Bits have been played over 949,000 times. The conversion rate from click-to-purchase for an audio bit is 34% with the most popular audio bits being “But It Was Funny Huh?” and “Bad Boys”. Rounding out the Top 3 app sections is Videos with 1 million hits; however, Fluffy’s videos have the most plays- 3.4 million to be exact.

The Fluffy app has a unique section in the app called “Soundboard” which features short, funny sound bites of Gabriel that fans can use to play pranks or just listen to when they need a mood boost (See screenshot below).

Gabriel’s app is quite impressive. In fact, Mobile Roadie ranked the app #5 for “Best Free App” of an entertainer to promote content and interact with fans, which Gabriel personally acknowledged on Facebook.

Without a doubt, social media has catapulted Gabriel to international star status. From Mongolia to Mauritius (the remote island off the coast of South Africa), Fluffy fans are everywhere, making two things certain: 1) Social media can amplify your message to millions of people across the world; and 2) Humor is universal.

Become a Roadie and download the Gabriel Iglesias app at http://road.ie/fluffyguy

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Best Practices Case Study

Spider-Man, Spider-Man spins an app in your hands

Conquering Hollywood wasn’t enough for Spider-Man, one of the world’s most popular superheroes. So he returned back to his home town and set off to conquer the bright lights of Broadway, an arena more difficult to find success in than a showdown with the Green Goblin.

The official opening of SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK was on June 14, 2011, and the show has been a smash-hit ever since. The show recently brought in a record-breaking $2.9 million in sales in one week, has sold over 800,000 tickets to date, and is touted as “Broadway’s Most Popular New Show”.

To connect with fans on their mobile devices, the team behind the Broadway production turned to Mobile Roadie to create the official SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK mobile app.

In addition to News, Photos, Store, and Top Users, there’s also an Exclusives section of the app. In Exclusives, fans can access videos, “Spidey’s NYC Guide”, and a trackable ticket offer which app users can redeem right through the app.

In the first month of launch, the app surpassed 40,000 downloads, averaging 1,900 downloads per day. Now, app downloads are over 90,000. Fans can’t get enough of the Music section of the app where they can listen to snippets
of the musical. Song plays exceed 96,000, with “NY Debut (Instrumental)” the most listened to track. The Video section is also a crowd-pleaser with over 148,000 video plays.

The Fan Wall is seeing action as well- past attendees can’t stop raving about the show on the wall, calling it “phenomenal” “a rock concert with a story” and “AMAZING”. In addition to past attendees of the show, fans who want to go are active on the Fan Wall asking questions about the show before they purchase tickets.

For the SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK team, the app was created to build a community of SPIDER-MAN on Broadway fans, increase sales, and give people from around the world a sneak peek of the show. And with Mobile Roadie, the app is doing just that. The Mobile Roadie platform also tracks every piece of content in the app from the ticket offer link to photocards. For Valentine’s Day week, the team launched a photocard featuring the iconic scene of an upside-down Spider- Man; it was a smash from the beginning.

The team behind the show says they “couldn’t be happier!” With 29,000 downloads in the first two weeks, SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK is a powerful brand!” And with 4.5 star ratings (on average) in both the App Store and Android Market, the official SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK app is spinning its web worldwide, attracting fans from all corners of the globe.

Become a “Spider-Fan” and download the official SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK mobile app at http://road.ie/spidey-bway

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Best Practices Case Study

STAPLES Center Reinvents the Phrase “Big Things Come in Small Packages” with Their Official App

Home to some of the biggest sports teams, music award shows, concerts, and high-profile events that attract millions of attendees from all around the world, STAPLES Center has now made it easier for anyone with a smartphone to navigate his or her way around their massive 950,000 sq. ft. arena with the launch of the official STAPLES Center app powered by Mobile Roadie.

In three months, over 12,000 users have downloaded the STAPLES Center app to learn about upcoming events, buy tickets directly, view behind-the-scene photos, get exclusive offers, promotions and more. Users can also get directions, live traffic alerts, parking information, and venue details with the interactive map. And during events, attendees can chat with others and upload pictures in real-time. In fact, the two most popular sections of the app are Comments and Shows, which have received over 61,000 and 50,000 hits respectively, bringing the total number of section hits to over 324,000.

To keep users engaged and to increase downloads, the team at STAPLES Center actively promotes the app through various online channels including their homepage, Facebook and Twitter. In addition to featuring the app on their homepage, they’ve also added a feature to their site similar to Mobile Roadie 3.3’s App Detection for Mobile Browsers. When people go to www.STAPLEScenter.com with a mobile device, they will be redirected to a page that gives them the option to either download the app or continue to the main site. Below is the page that shows when you visit STAPLES Center through a mobile browser:

The STAPLES Center is a world-famous arena in the middle of Downtown LA that Los Angeles locals can proudly call their own, which is evident by the number of LA residents who’ve downloaded the app. The User Location Map, available on Mobile Roadie’s platform, displays the locations of all users who have downloaded the STAPLES Center app and have allowed access to their location data. Using this data, the STAPLES Center team can send out push notifications by location & radius. With Enhanced Push Notifications, one of the new features in Mobile Roadie 3.3, the team at STAPLES Center can see how engaged users around LA are- Very Engaged, Engaged, and Less Engaged- and then send customized push notifications depending on user type. The image below categorizes User Engagement in and around LA with color-coded pins- Red (Very Engaged), Yellow (Engaged), and Blue (Less Engaged):

STAPLES Center is planning to utilize push notifications to promote exclusive pre-sales for upcoming events.

One of the most powerful promotional tools in any app is the user and their ability to share through social networks. More than 65% of online adults use social networking sites, and one of the most popular activities on these social sites is sharing. So having content in an app that users want to share is critical. STAPLES Center added fun, customized Photocards in their app. Users can choose STAPLES Center-themed frames to take pictures against, and then post on Twitter & Facebook. The following is an example of a Photocard featuring one of STAPLES Center’s home teams, the Los Angeles Kings.

By cross-promoting through different online channels, STAPLES Center is able to reach out to their existing networks to promote specific campaigns and initiatives. The team runs promotions and posts special offers exclusive to app users through multiple social network profiles.

For example, STAPLES Center offers parking discounts for app users during big concerts and events, including Katy Perry, Jay-Z & Kayne West, and LA Kings. Two days before Chris Brown’s show, on their official Facebook page, STAPLES Center offered $5.00 parking for those who downloaded the app.

The discounted parking promotion has sold out on nearly every offer, sparking buzz and interaction amongst app users.

Other app incentives include: discounts on Kings tickets, event suites, and food items at special concession stands. STAPLES Center also rolled out a promotion that gave those who purchased a jersey from the TEAM LA Store a free jersey personalization.

One example of a contest STAPLES Center ran on the app utilized the Top Users and Fan wall sections, rewarding the Top User a Kings Road Jersey. App users could compete for Top User status by commenting, sharing, adding photos, etc. on the app. The contest was promoted on various social networks, including the Fan Wall in the app.
In addition to all these features, the ability to feature sponsors in the app is simple using Mobile Roadie. STAPLES Center was able to integrate their sponsor Verizon with logo placements on the loading & home screens, and a special “Verizon” tab.

Verizon is also included in the Locations section of the app where users can view the Verizon stores nearest to STAPLES Center (seen below):The STAPLES Center app is the only tool an attendee needs to navigate his or her way around the STAPLES Center from start to finish. With Mobile Roadie, STAPLES Center is able to offer a comprehensive, content-loaded app that is fun for users to use even when they’re not at an event.

Become a “Roadie” and download the official STAPLES Center app, available for iPhone & Android: http://road.ie/staplescenter

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Best Practices Case Study

Taylor Swift’s Official App, Continuing to Sweep the Charts

Taylor Swift’s mobile app, powered by Mobile Roadie, shows no signs of slowing down. Although the app has only been available in Google’s Android Market and Apple’s App Store for more than a year, Taylor Swift fans continue to engage with the app in record numbers.

To date, Taylor Swift’s app has over 901,000 downloads, her songs have been played over 31 million times, and her videos have amassed over 4 million views. And while fans browse photos, watch videos, listen to music, and read news on her app, the most popular section is the Fan Wall, which has garnered over 30 million views by Swifties from all over the world, sharing their excitement for Taylor Swift with other fans.

To put these figures into perspective, this time last year, the Taylor Swift app had close to half a million downloads, 1 million video views, 12.6 million song plays, and over 8,500 comments. Overall downloads are up 80%, while daily downloads are up 300% from 1,000 to 4,000 since last year. Photo and video views both have increased over 300% from last year. And not surprisngly, the number of comments has experienced the largest growth, jumping an incredible 352,000% from 8,500 to over 30 million comments total in a course of a year- undeniable evidence that apps have the power to engage and bring together millions of users from all over the world.

Below is a screenshot of the Top 5 users of the app:

And as fans scroll through the app, they can take full advantage of the music section, listening to their favorite Taylor Swift songs. “Mine” continues to rock her app’s music chart, remaining the most played and paid-for song in the music section with over 2.9 million plays, an increase of 970% from 270,000 plays, and 9,100 paid downloads, a 355% increase from 2010. Following close behind though is “Jump Then Fall” which has over 8,000 paid downloads. In total, over 89,000 track sales have been made- reaffirming the fact that mobile apps are a good investment both in measurable and immeasurable figures. And as consumers shift toward mobile, it’s only a matter of time before it becomes more obvious the power of mobile apps as a sales tool.

But to convert clicks to sales, users must stay engaged with the app. Push notifications are one way to interact with users. Taylor Swift’s team continues to use push notifications to alert fans worldwide of exclusive announcements; Swifties who use her app are the first ones to hear about a new video or single release, and be informed of upcoming TV appearances. Her team also continues to take advantage of geo-targeting to push out notifications to concert goers right before an event.

While Taylor Swift is an international superstar with an enormous worldwide following, there is no doubt that any artist or brand who takes advantage of all of the features our platform has to offer can maximize interaction with their fans and keep them engaged, resulting in a larger fanbase and increased revenue.

Become a “Roadie” and download the official Taylor Swift app: http://road.ie/taylor-swift

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Best Practices Case Study

Myriam Fares, the first Arab artist to connect with fans via apps

The Middle East is a mobile society. In November 2011, Informa Telecoms & Media announced that mobile penetration- the number of mobile phones per citizen- in the Middle East jumped ahead that of the US with 97%. It is estimated that by 2012, the Middle East will surpass 250 million mobile subscribers, and in 2016, it is estimated that mobile subscriptions in the Middle East will reach 352 million. Middle Easterners with data plans account for 13% of all mobile revenues in the Middle East; however, the market for smartphones is expected to grow. In the UAE alone, smartphone penetration is around 47% and is expected to rise to 70.35% in 2016. In Saudi Arabia, smartphone penetration is around 25% and is expected to rise to 48.63% by the end of year 2016.

Middle Eastern consumers who currently have smartphones are embracing apps. 8 in 10 smartphone users in the Middle East download apps, 95% have apps on their phones, and 82% download apps at least once a month. This level of activity should attract companies and brands to launch apps in this burgeoning market, like Myriam Fares has done already with the launch of her official app powered by Mobile Roadie.

Myriam Fares is a Lebanese pop singer who is the first Arab artist to have her own iPhone and iPad mobile app to engage with fans. Launched at the same time of her latest album, Min Oyouni, which topped Virgin Megastore’s U.A.E. charts in just a couple days, fans could scan the QR code on the album to instantly download her app.

According to her record label EMI Music Arabia, Myriam takes an active role in engaging with her fans; after all, she did promise her fans that she would “make time to help manage the app because it’s an important project and we’re already seeing a taste of its success.”

Success is an understatement for this singer’s app which has been downloaded over 75,000 times from fans spanning all across the world from Alaska, US to Tokyo, Japan, in addition to her home country of Lebanon. Through the app, fans can listen to exclusive tracks, buy her music through iTunes, download ringtones, view exclusive videos and photos, compete for badges via social network sites, chat on the Fan Wall, book Myriam for private events, and more.  Myriam also holds exclusive chats with her fans via the app on a periodic basis. Below is a screenshot of the app featuring the additional sections of the app.

Fans are attracted to all her app has to offer, visiting all the sections a total of more than 13 million times. The most popular section of the app is the Comments section which has attracted more than 66% or 8.9 million visits of all section visits. Over 25,000 comments have been made in the app by fans. The level of activity in the Comments section is a testament to the power of the app as a communication tool for fans. In addition to these impressive statistics, more than 212,000 videos have been viewed and close to 3 million songs have been played. The most listened to song on her app is “Gasayed” with over 1.2 million plays.

Myriam’s app has created a community of fans who can chat with each other and compete for points for the title of “Top User” which recognizes Myriam’s number one fan. Users can earn points by posting comments and photos, watching videos, sharing via social networks, listening to Myriam’s songs, and adding items to their “Favorites” list. The current top user has close to 190,000 points while the runner-up is close behind with 170,000 points. Adding competition gives users another reason to keep visiting and remain active on the app.

The official Myriam Fares app continues to attract downloads because it offers fans a place where they can stay updated on all things Myriam and build a community with other users who share the same interests. An app should offer value to the user that he or she can’t get anywhere else. By offering value, people will be more likely to download your app.

Become a “Roadie” and download the official Myriam Fares app: http://road.ie/myriam-fares

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Best Practices Case Study

Mobile Roadie users accrue over millions of points in app engagement

The most valuable feature of Mobile Roadie apps is the ability to engage fans. To keep users coming back daily, one popular way is to enable the Top Users section in your app, which recognizes the biggest fans. Users can earn points by being active in the app to claim a spot in the Top Users chart.

Users can earn points for a whole slew of actions including launching the app (1pt), posting a comment (10pt), posting a comment with a photo (12 pt), subscribe to the mailing list (10 pt), adding an item to “Favorites” (2pt), watching a video (3pts), listening to a track (2pts), and sharing to Facebook and Twitter (2pts).

The biggest Top User among all our apps comes from the Taylor Swift app. This user has accrued over 1 million points, followed closely behind by other dedicated Swifties. The Top 5 Users in the Taylor Swift app have accured over 4.8 million points combined, the most out of the other apps.

The second largest Top 5 Users group, in terms of points, is from the JLS app. The top JLS fan has earned over 940,000 points; the Top 5 users have accrued over 2.7 million points.

Katy Perry’s fans have earned more than 2.5 million points. The top “Katycat” has earned over 1 million points.

HOW TO INCREASE ACTIVITY

Besides subscribing to the mailing list, the other actions to earn points are repeatable.

Every time a user launches your app, they earn a point. So you want to find ways to keep users coming back often.

Every time a user posts a comment, they earn 10 points. So keep the conversation flowing by posting questions or viral content on the wall. One idea to promote comments with picture uploads (the highest point earner) is to throw a contest involving the Fan Wall.

Be consistent in uploading new content such as videos and exclusive tracks to attract views, which also earn users points. Content should be viral-worthy so users will share to Facebook and Twitter, which earn them points as well.

Wrapping Up 

By following these tips, activity in your app is bound to increase. And don’t forget to recognize those active users for their hard work. Mobile Roadie keeps track of your top users in the CMS. You can also enable the Top Users section to be viewable by all app users. Don’t be afraid to reward them for their efforts.

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Best Practices Case Study

The Pixies give away The Purple Tape in their official app

Credited with influencing the alternative rock boom of the 90s, the Pixies return to the limelight with their official mobile app where fans can catch up on Pixies news, listen to songs, browse through photos, interact with other fans on the Fan Wall, compete for badges, and much more.

What makes the Pixies app a must-download for any fan, however, lies within the app. Integrated deep within is the email-for-media widget (EFM) by Topspin, a technology-focused direct-to-fan marketing, management and distribution platform, helping artists manage their catalogs, connect with fans, and generate demand for music.

Any app with the EFM widget allows clients to send exclusive content such as downloadable tracks, pictures and other media files to fans, while building their email list of interested users at the same time. EFM is an effective tool to provide instant gratification to users in a hassle-free way. Because the email address is being used to provide something of value to the user, there is less chance that the user will submit a “spam-only” email address. The resulting email database will be more responsive to future emails regarding client news.

Pixies’ Topspin campaign gives fans free access to The Purple Tape, a long-lost album released in 2002 featuring 9 never before released songs created for their demo album back in 1987. To access the full album, users will be prompted to enter their email address for one track, and then share their find to Facebook or Twitter to access the whole album. Users will then receive an email containing the full downloadable copy of The Purple Tape.

In addition to the free streaming of Purple Tape, fans of the app have access to a free download of the Pixies’ 2004 Coachella Show, Pixies Minotaur artwork from Vaughan Oliver and Simon Larbalestier (creators of the original artwork for all five Pixies’ studio albums), on-demand streaming of archive performances including Manchester 1988, the first 2004 reunion show at the Fine Line Café, and the acoustic 2006 Newport Folk Festival show, and an in-app store featuring studio catalog and Pixies merchandise.

The Pixies app is available for iPhone and Android. To download the app, visit http://road.ie/pixies

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Best Practices Case Study

MIDEM 2012: Continuing to redefine mobile engagement for events

A WINNING FORMULA

How do you keep thousands of people connected and organized during 4 packed days of events, panels, parties, and more?

MIDEM went the way of mobile by partnering with Mobile Roadie to create their official app for 2010, 2011, and now 2012. In addition to iPhone and Android, MIDEM added a brand-spankin’ new iPad app to the mix for the growing tablet market.

INTEGRATED INTO EVERYTHING ONCE AGAIN

MIDEM once again integrated the app into all of their marketing materials from traditional to unique digital outlets.

The app could be seen on signage throughout the Palaise des Festivals and on newspaper ads.

MIDEM heavily promoted the app through online channels as well including their website, on banner ads, Twitter, and Facebook. MIDEM announced the launch of their app on Facebook:

QR CODES

Like last year, MIDEM took advantage of QR codes by publishing a QR code in their newspaper to download the app.

TWITTER

Of their social networks, MIDEM took to Twitter the most this year to promote their app.

And it wasn’t just tweeting; MIDEM kept a close eye out for buzz around the app from MIDEM enthusiasts on Twitter, and retweeted memorable tweets to their 8,600 plus followers.

BUILDING AN AUDIENCE

For those that weren’t lucky enough to attend the conference in Cannes, the app provided live video streams, photos, interactive daily schedules, Tweets, news updates, and a community for users to engage with, worldwide.

More than 12,000 MIDEM enthusiasts have downloaded the app. This year, there was more activity in the app than ever before, bringing the total number of section hits to over 732,000.

Every year in January, the number of downloads skyrockets as MIDEM attendees prepare and get organized for the event.

MIDEM FOR IPAD

This year, MIDEM offered attendees a custom-built iPad app to download, which added to the flurry of total downloads. They used Facebook as a promotional tool.

The MIDEM iPad app was Mobile Roadie’s first iPad submission, and feedback was positive.

MIDEM AS A MOBILE LEADER

MIDEM also focused efforts on connecting with the mobile music industry by featuring mobile experts in articles, participating in events, and much more.

Michael Schneider, Mobile Roadie CEO, was featured in two mobile thought-leader articles- “Six Mobile Music Trends to Watch in 2012” and “Mobile Roadie On the Music Potential in Mobile Apps”. Each article had a footnote mentioning the MIDEM app.

MIDEM also hosted a Music Tech Meetup with influential music tech companies, which they promoted on Twitter, as well as Facebook:

WHAT’S IN STORE FOR MIDEM 2013?

More than 6,900 people from all around the world attended MIDEM this year. And with over 12,000 downloads of the MIDEM app, the app has been downloaded close to 50% more times than there were attendees at the conference.

If you’re planning to attend MIDEM 2013, download the official MIDEM app, available for iPhone, Android & iPad, at http://road.ie/MIDEM

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Best Practices Case Study

Say “Cheers”- PhotoCards are picture perfect for app users & your brand!

PhotoCards are a new feature that can’t be missed. They’re already one of the most popular sections in the apps of the early adopters, including Red Hot Chili Peppers, STAPLES Center, and Dallas Mavericks.

With 73% of mobile users using their phones to take pictures and 54% of users sending photos and videos to their friends, mobile phones are becoming the new camera. The percentage of photos taken with a smartphone rose from 17% to 27%, as the percentage of photos taken with a camera dropped from 52% to 44% between 2010 to 2011.

To take advantage of this burgeoning opportunity, we created PhotoCards. Customers are now able to add PhotoCards to their app, which allow fans to choose frames to take pictures directly in the app and then save and share with their friends via social networks. Brands can choose from default frames or they can upload their own custom frames.

Response has been overwhelming. With custom-designed photocards, brands are able to another element of fun for users while increasing brand awareness and “shareability”.

The Dallas Mavericks created 9 custom photocard frames for their app: More than 300 PhotoCards have been uploaded in the gallery; STAPLES Center created 5 custom photocard frames, garnering more than 100 photos in the gallery; and RHCP created 5 custom photocard frames: More than 450 PhotoCards have been uploaded in the gallery in less than two weeks of being live. Hot Chelle Rae and the Redskins have also joined the PhotoCards phenomenon.

We predict PhotoCards will be one of the most popular features in Mobile Roadie Pro apps. It’s easy to implement, fun for all to use, and increases app activity noticeably. If you aren’t convinced yet, try photocards out for yourselves in any of the following apps:

Red Hot Chili Peppers
Dallas Mavericks
Staples Center
Redskins
Hot Chelle Rae

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Best Practices Case Study

FADER FORT by FIAT- Picture Perfect App

Mobile Roadie powers apps for some of the world’s most influential artists, brands, and organizations to interact with their fans on a daily basis. But what may come as a surprise- Mobile Roadie powers apps for some of the most popular music events and festivals as well, bringing together attendees even if the guest list is over 50,000. And while events may last only a few days, with mobile apps event organizers can keep past, future, and potential attendees updated throughout the year with exciting content, sneak previews, and exclusive content leading up to, during, and after the event.

And that’s exactly what organizers of FADER FORT by FIAT have done with the official mobile app powered by Mobile Roadie available for download in Apple’s App Store and Google’s Android Market. FADER FORT is an annual music festival at South by Southwest (SXSW) featuring some of the hottest artists and bands. Presented by FADER, a award-winning music, culture, arts, and fashion magazine, in partnership with FIAT, FADER FORT attracts fans from all over the world for the chance to immerse themselves in an epic music experience. 2011 marks the second year FADER FORT has chosen Mobile Roadie to power their app, and organizers wanted to do something special, apart from adding in a show schedule section and free tracks from FORT artists. What they came up with was not only interactive but rewarding for the 10,000 plus users who downloaded the app out of the 50,000 plus attendees.

During the 4-day music festival, organizers posted flyers at SXSW and the surrounding Austin area featuring unique QR codes that attendees could scan with the built-in QR code reader installed in their FADER FORT app. Along with seeing info about the artist playing at that moment, fans were given the chance to enter a daily contest when they scanned these QR codes. Daily prizes included items from Converse, New Era, Rdio, and TDK. To make it happen, Mobile Roadie’s API was used to sync the in-app schedule to a single QR code. QR code signage was then produced which linked to specific content based on the time of day it was scanned.

A screenshot of the video we created on the FADER FORT app

Connecting Fans: Mobile Roadie & The FADER FORT by FIAT

Using email data that was collected from the QR code scans and displayed in the CMS, organizers were able to randomly select winners from the database. Winners were then announced during the show.

Rolling out a promotional campaign during the event increased app downloads dramatically and stirred conversations and photo shares between fans. Over 2,000 fans downloaded the app and tracks were played close to 20,000 times just in the first day of the festival. We think the FADER FORT by FIAT’s QR code campaign complemented the fast-paced nature of the festival by capturing fans’ attentions and rewarding fans instantaneously while at the FORT; and we know organizers of the FADER FORT were pleased with the overwhelming positive response received for the app.

This event showcases just one example of how Mobile Roadie’s app platform can tie into a much broader integrated marketing campaign. Going beyond just content, Mobile Roadie provides powerful fan engagement and gamification tools, making your app an integral part of any marketing strategy.

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Best Practices Case Study

DJ Shadow’s Official App Can’t Be Missed

“DJ Shadow’s app has done wonders to his online following. Even if only a few people use the app at each show, it is worth it to engage those users and to have them generate content for the app and the site through fan photos and comments,” says Michael Fiebach, Digital Marketing & Merchandise Manager for DJ Shadow, and founder of Fame House.

Luckily for Michael and DJ Shadow, they don’t have to worry about whether or not people will download the DJ Shadow app because, so far, over 20,000 app downloads have been made since being live on the market a little over a year. It seems fans just can’t get enough of his app, especially the Music and Comments sections which have garnered over 139,000 song plays and over 60,000 hits, respectively. The level of fan engagement in the DJ Shadow app is something to admire.

To achieve this level of fan engagement, DJ Shadow’s team, using Mobile Roadie’s API, synced DJ Shadow’s app to his official website, creating a two-way channel between app and site, making it so content that is uploaded via the app will stream live on the website and vice versa. Fans can comment on upcoming DJ Shadow shows or upload pictures through the app, and have that content immediately show on the website. Syncing these two channels has increased visibility and thus downloads for the app as well as visits to DJ Shadow’s site. In addition, fans without a smartphone can still participate in the conversations of those fans who have the app, leaving no fan behind. For DJ Shadow’s team, one of the greatest benefits of the app is reaching fans from all over the world, even those in far-away locations like Morocco in North Africa and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia where catching a live show may be difficult.

One example of the Mobile Roadie API integration in working mode can be seen in the promotion of “Shadowsphere”- a visually-stimulating, awe-inspiring sphere, essentially a technological wonder, that plays visuals and audio while DJ Shadow is inside it during packed shows all over the world. The Shadowsphere is something not to be missed; so during shows, fans are encouraged via push notifications to take pictures of the “Shadowsphere” and upload to the Show section in the app for fans not in attendance to view and comment about via the website. This has resulted in over 1,000 photo uploads via app. And after the show, app users are encouraged via another push notification to leave feedback about the show in the Comments section. Fans can read these comments and anticipate what’s to come when they have the chance to attend a DJ Shadow show. And even those fans who don’t have a chance to attend his show can get a glimpse of the DJ Shadow show spectacle.

With Mobile Roadie API integration, the possibilities are endless so long as you are creative and willing to put in extra effort like the team over at DJ Shadow did with the DJ Shadow pro app.

Become a “Roadie” and download the official DJ Shadow app: http://road.ie/dj-shadow 

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Best Practices Case Study

Dolphins Make a Splash with a Mobile App

News updates, player and coach interviews, cheerleaders, live pre and post-game shows and a special section for The Finactics. Sounds like a normal Dolphins game right? It’s actually their first mobile app. Released 2 days after the first pre-season game; it has taken the Dolphins from the field to the fingertips of over 130,000 people around the nation in less than 60 days.

Miami is not only one of the first NFL teams to offer a mobile app on both iPhone and Android, but the first to make a rather large impression, being featured in the Android market for over 2 weeks and now in the top 75 free sports apps in the App Store. But 2 things stand out: 1.) The downloads have shown to be an even split between the two platforms and 2.) The user interaction levels are soaring with the Top 5 super fans accumulating over 75,000 points via the Top User system. Both are unheard of in the Mobile Roadie world and have created quite a stir in the NFL as other teams are starting to realize thee importance of a mobile presence.

For the Dolphins, it started as an idea to promote the team on mobile phones and ended up working like a strategic game plan on a Sunday afternoon. They didn’t ask “what will this app do for me?” but instead “what will we do for this app?” The difference is obvious. Breaking out each section of the app, the Dolphins were able to organize a large amount of content into easy to access categories. Miss a game? The apps “Game Center” brings you quarter-by-quarter key stats and a scoreboard to help you relive the action. Forgot if the next game is home or away? Check the schedule so you don’t look like a fool in front of your friends. Bored at halftime? Get your heart racing by checking out a couple cheerleader videos. For the more discerning fan, there are over 10 other video channels including exclusive practice footage and player interviews. In total over 85,000 views have been logged in the video section alone.

But it doesn’t stop there. Get pumped up before the game by blasting Jimmy Buffet’s “Fins For The Fish” or the classic “Miami Dolphins #1” team song from the audio section, which also contains a complete library of the popular radio show – “The Finsiders.” Combined they’ve tallied over 100,000 plays so far this season. And with special pre or post game shows that are video streamed live through the app, you can stay connected while making that last minute beer run before kickoff. Don’t worry about missing them, because the team will send you a push notification straight to your phone to give you a heads up!

With a new app and a great start to the season, the Dolphins are making a splash in 2010. Cheer them on by posting comments, finding fans near you or uploading photos on the Finatics Fan Wall.

If you don’t have the app, become an official “Mobile Roadie” of the Miami Dolphins by clicking here: http://road.ie/dolphins-app

 

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Best Practices Case Study

Virtual badges are the real thing when it comes to competition

Badges are highly effective gaming tools that you can utilize in your app to encourage and reward fan engagement, build loyalty and increase downloads. Default badge sets that you can use are built into your Mobile Roadie CMS, or you can replace these with custom badges that better reflect your brand, like the cute animal badges in the San Diego Zoo app.

MAKE IT RELEVANT

Mobile Roadie offers 9 different badge sets that you can choose from and then activate. The 9 badge sets include the Music Set, Commenting Set, Wall Set (Facebook), 140 Set (Twitter), Thumbs Up Set, Appaholic Set, Film School Set, Check In Set, and Photogenic Set.

How you choose which badge sets to use depends on the type of business you have. “What would my customers respond to?” “Why are my customers visiting my app?” These are some questions you should ask yourself before deciding what badge sets to activate, as one badge set may be more relevant to your business than another.

Reward top users with special prizes. You can apply “real-world” rewards like coupons or a VIP concert ticket, or links to an exclusive video or audio message to your app. Don’t stop at badges though. Recognize your top users by giving them a shout out through a push notification or through Twitter, Facebook or even a blog post. These extra “value” prizes will keep top users loyal to the app.

KEEP FANS IN THE LOOP

It’s important for players to know who they’re up against and what their standing is in the competition. In the Mobile Roadie CMS, we track your user’s every interaction. You can see which users have earned the most points of all time, monthly, weekly and even daily. Users can also see the top 50 in each category directly in the app. They can see who’s beating them and step up their game. In addition, a list of earned and remaining badges can be seen in a user’s profile by friends.

To keep the competition fair, it’s important to look out for “unusual” activity from users. If a user constantly posts up photos or comments that aren’t relevant or inappropriate just to earn points, it’s best for your app’s reputation as well as for other players if that user is warned or, if necessary, blocked. Comments and photos moderation is simple in the CMS.

DON’T FORGET TO REINVENT

Turn badges into collectibles by adding custom descriptions and images. Not only can you customize the look of badges, but you can set the difficulty level of each badge group as well. To keep users engaged, switch up the badge sets that are live once in a while, create new custom badges so that you can retire old ones. And don’t forget to change the prizes.Badges are already in your Mobile Roadie CMS, so go ahead and use them.

They’re great incentives for your fans to use your app on an ongoing basis, as well as give them another reason to tell their friends why they should download the app. Just remember to reward top users beyond virtual badges, create badges that represent your brand, and manage the community so that each player has a fair chance at being awarded the app’s top “Fanatic”.

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Best Practices Case Study

sbe lets you enjoy the sweet life with their official app

SBE is one of the hottest lifestyle and hospitality brands, bringing luxury hotels, restaurants, and nightlife across North America. A prominent hospitality fixture in Southern California, sbe has been expanding many of its brands into other hot spots like New York City, Miami, Houston, and Las Vegas. So to give fans a way to take the sbe lifestyle with them everywhere they go, the team over at sbe went mobile.

In September 2011, sbe released their official mobile app powered by Mobile Roadie. And ever since, they’ve been coming up with creative ways to take advantage of all the app’s features to promote their many establishments.

To promote the sbe app itself, they decided to go big. In addition to promoting the app across online channels, they displayed their app to the residents of Southern California.

sbe launched a billboard advertising campaign for the app with the headline “Finally something fun for your thumbs to do”. Multiple sbe app billboards- both traditional and digital- could be seen throughout Los Angeles and surrounding areas. These billboards definitely were attention-grabbing (see picture below):

sbe also attracted fans who were already on mobile devices by activating App Detection for Mobile Browsers – a unique marketing tool from Mobile Roadie (see below):

Promotions

sbe has been rolling out promotions for their various establishments even before they released their app. And now, they’re able to roll out exclusive promotions on the app to attract more users. The flexibility to change homescreens at any time and the ability to schedule push notifications make it easy to grab a user’s attention.

One of sbe’s very first push notifications was a promotion for the opening of SLS Hotel in South Beach.

Another push was scheduled in coordination with the grand opening of sbe’s Katsuya in San Diego, redirecting users to a dinner for two giveaway.

With so many locations across the country, what does sbe do when they want to target a specific area? They send out targeted push notifications, like the one they sent out to app users in a 1 mile radius of The Bazaar in Beverly Hills, CA.

Using push notifications is just one way to promote a special deal or giveaway. Another way is to feature the promotion on the app’s home screen, which is exactly what sbe did to roll our one of their restaurant’s deals. Mercato diVetro, a sbe restaurant in Los Angeles, offered free pizzas to app users who visited.

Engagement

Fans are engaged with the sbe brand. In the app, fans can comment on the Fan Wall, share photos & videos on Facebook and Twitter, and “Like”content. They can also let their friends know what they’re up to by checking in everytime they’re at a sbe venue. Active app users can compete for points and badges to claim a spot in the Top Users section.

A fun time out on the town is only a download away. Become a “Roadie” and download the official sbe app at http://road.ie/sbe