Designing branded mobile apps:Fundamentals and recommendations

Zhenzhen Zhao *, Christine Balague

Telecom School of Management, LITEM, Institut Mines-Telecom, 9 Rue Charles Fourier, 91000 Evry, France

Business Horizons (2015) 58, 305—315

Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

ScienceDirectwww.elsevier.com/locate/bushor

KEYWORDSMobile application;Brands;Mobile business;Marketing;Social media

Abstract The development of mobile applications has represented a challengeand opportunity for companies to market their brands and products through a newchannel; however, the branded mobile applications (branded apps) currently avail-able in the market are far from perfect and existing app designs do not yet have well-established mobile and social features. This article offers systematic guidelinesfor branded app design by identifying different levels of strategies that should betaken into consideration by companies. We illustrate five business objectives (com-munication, customer relationship management, sales, product innovation, andmarketing research) and identify five types of branded apps (tool-, game-, social-,m-commerce-, and design-centric). Three functional building blocks are proposed tospecify how mobile features, social features, and brand mention elements should beincorporated into branded app development. Various examples of branded apps areprovided to illustrate relevant best practices in order to guide marketers in improvingbranded app design.# 2015 Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. Published by Elsevier Inc. Allrights reserved.

1. Branded apps: A new paradigm

The development of mobile phone applications hasbecome very important to companies, most of whichare actively engaged in implementing mobile strate-gies and are developing or actively deploying portfoliosof mobile phone applications. Hinchcliffe (2013) pre-dicts that the development of mobile strategies willcontinue to be a major challenge and that branded

* Corresponding authorE-mail addresses: zhenzhen.zhao@it-sudparis.eu,

zhen.hci@gmail.com (Z. Zhao), christine.balague@it-sudparis.eu(C. Balague)

0007-6813/$ — see front matter # 2015 Kelley School of Business, Ihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2015.01.004

mobile applications (branded apps) will be widelyadopted in the coming years. Companies have to adaptto this new culture, ensuring that the profiles andcompetences of marketers properly adjust to newconsumer behaviors in the market.

Bellman, Potter, Treleaven-Hassard, Robinson,and Varan (2011) define the branded app as softwarethat is downloadable to a mobile device and promi-nently displays a brand identity, often via the nameof the app and the appearance of a brand logo oricon throughout the user experience. One reasonbehind the popularity of branded apps as marketingdevices is that their high level of user engagementmakes the advertising messages they convey highlypersuasive (Calder, Malthouse, & Schaedel, 2009).

ndiana University. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Figure 1. Five main business objectives in brandedapp design

306 Z. Zhao, C. Balague

Research has tested the actual impact of brandedapps on users. Bellman et al. (2011) employed anexperimental design to confirm that the use of brandedapps has positive persuasive impact, increasing brandinterest. Other studies have measured user adoption ofand responsiveness to mobile apps. Because mobileapps focus on real-time relationships with consumers,in this context, relationship management is moreconsumer-instant-action-centric than conversation-centric. Therefore, a challenge faced by companiesrelates to how to capture user attention. A differencebetween mobile and web services noted by Oinas-Kukkonen and Kurkela (2003) is the usage context.People often use mobile devices in noisy and distract-ing environments. However, real-time contextual in-formation, including peer-to-peer information andrecommendations, generates new consumer behaviorsin the market. Kourouthanassis, Georgiadis, Zamani,and Giaglis (2010) identified expected performance asa significant determinant of the acceptance of mobilemarketing offers. Ho and Syu (2010) found that themain motives for and rewards from using mobile appsare entertainment, functionality, information, sociali-zation, intellectual stimulation, following a trend, andlearning. However, to date, no studies have identifiedthe features that companies can use to develop theirbranded app strategies.

The goal of this article is to provide marketerswith a method to develop branded app strategiesthat will allow them to benefit from this fast-growing trend. In section 2, we classify the businessobjectives of branded apps into five categories:communication, customer relationship manage-ment (CRM), sales, open innovation, and marketingresearch. In section 3, by analyzing and evaluatingmobile apps designed by several top-100 brands,we identify five types of branded apps: tool-, game-,social-, m-commerce-, and design-centric. Vari-ous examples of branded apps are provided toillustrate the best practices associated with differ-ent types of apps and features. In section 4, wepropose three functional building blocks to identifywhich factors should be taken into consideration inbranded app design; specifically, we describe mo-bile features, social features, and brand mentionelements and further illustrate how these featuresshould be integrated into branded apps. In section5, we provide recommendations to marketers andconclude the article with directions for futureresearch.

2. Business objectives of branded apps

When brands decide to create mobile apps, theyfirst have to define clear business goals. In this

section, we introduce five business objectives ofbranded apps. As shown in Figure 1, these goalsare communication, CRM, sales, product innovation,and marketing research. Note that individual brand-ed apps can have more than one business objectiveand individual brands can design multiple mobileapps to target different products and business goals.

The first goal of branded apps is communication.This includes communicating brand values, informa-tion, and products, thereby enhancing brand imageand increasing brand awareness. Most branded appsachieve this goal as one of the business objectives ofapp design.

The second business goal of branded app design isCRM. Branded apps can perform well as intermediar-ies between brands and customers. The objective isto manage company interactions with current andfuture customers. This includes brand engagementwith loyal customers, the collection of user data,and the generation of product recommendations tocurrent and potential clients.

The third goal of designing branded apps is in-creasing sales. Branded apps aim to createcompletely new purchasing experiences and inter-action models for users, with a whole set of capa-bilities including location awareness, contextsensing, and product customization.

The fourth goal is product innovation. Brandedapps can support open innovation by allowing usersto generate new ideas for products; for example,they can build a community for the sharing andrating of ideas, with the most highly rated ideaoften being rewarded and adopted by the brands.

The last goal of branded app development ismarketing research. Branded apps can help compa-nies survey users in new ways. In the shampoomarket, for instance, some companies have askedwomen to share photos taken with their mobiledevices to express their opinions about good/badhair appearance. This process provides marketerswith value-added information to better understandconsumer behaviors.

Figure 2. Classification of branded apps

Designing branded mobile apps: Fundamentals and recommendations 307

3. Classification of branded apps

Another important strategic factor that companiesshould take into consideration is the type of brandedapp. Bellman et al. (2011) differentiate betweentwo types of apps: informational and game-likeapps. After reviewing branded apps designed bythe top 100 brands,1 we propose a classificationinto five dimensions that identifies branded appsas tool-, game-, social-, m-commerce-, or design-centric (Figure 2). We further illustrate each typeof app using several examples.

3.1. Tool-centric apps

Most companies develop their apps as tools to pro-vide users with utility. Tool-centric apps can beextremely diverse. The main goals of tool-centricapps are to identify the motivations and require-ments of consumers in using/buying products and todevelop services to assist consumers in these pro-cesses. For example, L’Oreal’s The Color Genius app(Figure 3) allows users to take a photo of their outfitsand identify a look as for day or night; the app thenproposes an on-trend combination of make-up prod-ucts that suits a user’s outfits. The Colgate DentalAdvisor app includes a toothbrush timer to teachrecommended brushing techniques and allows usersto set reminders for their next dental appointment.Heinz’s Food In A Minute app provides a database of700 recipes that can be searched by ingredients ornames. Each recipe contains one or more Heinz foodproducts as a reference for users. The Johnson &Johnson Wound Care ResourceTM app provides aseries of tools to make wound care easier. It allows

1 Chosen from the Interbrand (2013) annual report.

users to keep a diary to track the progress of theirwounds, and recommends a set of wound care prod-ucts based on the type, location, and condition ofthe wound.

From the business perspective, most tool-centricapps present their products in direct or indirectways. The Color Genius, Food In A Minute, andJohnson & Johnson Wound Care ResourceTM appspresent their products as recommendations to con-sumers, which is regarded as indirect customerrelationship management, whereas the ColgateDental Advisor app lists the company’s products withdetailed classifications and descriptions, which isconsidered to be direct communication.

3.2. Game-centric apps

Companies primarily design game-centric apps dueto their high hedonic values. For example, theDomino’s Pizza Hero app provides an immersivegame experience by allowing users to make topquality virtual pizzas by kneading dough, spreadingsauce, sprinkling cheese, and placing toppings whileracing against the clock. The Johnson & JohnsonHappy Nurse app is a race game in which the user,playing the role of a nurse, must avoid all obstacles inhis or her way. J&J posters appear along the nurse’spath and the nurse has to use hand sanitizer at the lastmoment to enter the operating room. The Heinz Dip &SqueezeTM Ketchup Craze app (Figure 4) contains10 game levels allowing players to squeeze Ketchupon different types of food, such as hot dogs or bur-gers. Kellogg’s Apple JacksTM Race To The Bowl Rallyapp allows players to create avatars using Apple Jacksmascots and then race through the frozen Ice King-dom. Users get extra race points by collecting AppleJacks cereal pieces and achieve hyper-speed by col-lecting Apple Jacks logos along the way.

From the business perspective, most game-cen-tric apps aim to create an immersive environmentthrough the use of different brand elements, expos-ing users to good brand moments to enhance brandimage and increase brand awareness. Some apps arelinked to e-commerce websites and aim to executedirect sales. Moreover, companies can collect userdata through game-centric apps, which is useful forcustomer relationship management.

3.3. Social-centric apps

Social media has become a buzzword in the web2.0 decade. From the user perspective, social-cen-tric apps are designed to target socializing for fun.One successful example is the UNIQLOOKS appdesigned by Japanese apparel retailer UNIQLO(Figure 5). This app affords customers, fans, and

Figure 3. L’Oreal’s The Color Genius app

308 Z. Zhao, C. Balague

visitors the opportunity to populate its global com-munity with images of themselves wearing variouscombinations of UNIQLO clothes; members of UNIQ-LOOKS can then vote and comment on their styling.A global audience determines each Look Of The Weekwinner, and, as a reward, the look is featured onUNIQLO’s Facebook page. The top-ranked photo isused to help showcase clothing in stores. The Likesspread the brand across social networks in a natural,peer-to-peer manner, while the site incorporates astrong e-commerce element by linking directly to theUNIQLO online store. As noted by Vazquez (2011),UNIQLOOKS is not only about online advertising and

Figure 4. Heinz’s Dip & SqueezeTM Ketchup Craze app

user-generated content; it also seeks to engage fansand brand advocates by turning members of theircommunity into both their models and their stylists.

Other examples of social-centric apps include theAvon Send A Kiss app, which allows users to take apicture of their lips, create personalized messagesusing their lip prints, and share kisses with friendsand family via e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter. Simi-larly, Dove’s Body Language Messenger app allowsusers to type a message, watch the Dove girls usetheir bodies to create each letter, and share thisanimated message with friends via e-mail, SMS, andsocial networks. These two social-centric apps focus

Figure 5. UNIQLOOKS app

Designing branded mobile apps: Fundamentals and recommendations 309

on sharing customized messages but they do notcreate a community like the UNIQLOOKS app.

From the business perspective, social-centricapps aim to increase the sense of intimacy withcustomers, foster brand engagement by building acommunity of loyal customers, or allow customersto communicate positive brand images with theirsocial circles.

3.4. M-commerce-centric apps

In m-commerce-centric apps, the goal is to sellproducts. Consumer personalization during the pur-chasing process and product customization are crit-ical to achieving this objective. The IKEA Catalogapp (Figure 6), for example, allows users to placefurniture selected from the catalog into their ownrooms. The Adidas Eyewear app allows users tocreate and virtually try on personalized glasses.

Figure 6. IKEA Catalog app

Abercrombie & Fitch’s Hollister So Cal Style app rec-ommends clothing styles by asking users to take a shortquiz, and also allows users to search styles by color.

3.5. Design-centric apps

Some brands develop creative and imaginative design-centric apps. CAMPER Weather: Have A Camper Day! isan app (Figure 7) that helps put a smile on users’ facesregardless of whether it is sunny or cloudy outside. Asstated by the company (CAMPER, 2011):

This weather app is how Camper, the shoebrand, understands optimism: half imagina-tion, half craft. To communicate this conceptin a friendly, different and non-intrusive man-ner, we decided to take a new look at some ofthe things that are currently set in stone. Theway we view weather forecasts today (with

Figure 7. CAMPER Weather: Have a Camper day! app

Figure 8. Functional building blocks of branded appdesign

310 Z. Zhao, C. Balague

boring, lifeless interfaces and icons) was a greatstarting point for us and seemed like the per-fect tool for illustrating the philosophy behindthe concept. As a result, we created new mete-orological elements made from pret-a-portermaterials and turned them into musical instru-ments that react to touch. . . . Camper is not aspecific shoe, but rather a style, a philosophy oflife, a way of thinking and a way of makingshoes. Camper is more than a company andmore than a business. It’s a team of peopledriven by creativity.

Nike’s MAKING app is an easy-to-use reference guideto compare the impacts of materials; it is a tooldesigned to inspire designers and creators to makebetter choices regarding the materials they use.According to Nike (2013):

We know that every decision a designer makes inthe product creation process has an impact onthe environment. But given the range of optionsthat exist, making informed choices can be achallenge. That is why MAKING matters.

Note that brands often design more than one brand-ed app. Most apps focus on different products orbusiness objectives; thus, companies tend to devel-op different types of apps. For example, Heinz hasdeveloped the tool-centric app, Food In A Minute,and the game-centric app, Dip & SqueezeTM KetchupCraze. Johnson & Johnson has developed the tool-centric J&J Wound Care ResourceTM app and thegame-centric Happy Nurse app.

Brands can also implement a series of intercon-nected apps. Nestle has designed a series of apps forchildren, named StimuLearn, which includes onegame-centric app, Make A Match, and two tool-centric apps, Watch Me Go! and Storytime Duet,

to teach kids important values and educate themabout healthy behavior.

4. Functional building blocks ofbranded apps

In this section, we propose a framework includingthree functional building blocks (Figure 8) related tothe most important features of branded app design:mobile, social, and brand mention. In each category,we further provide detailed descriptions of ele-ments that can be used to design branded apps.

4.1. Mobile

The first building block is a focus on specific mobilefeatures. It is important for companies to know

Designing branded mobile apps: Fundamentals and recommendations 311

which up-to-date mobile features should be utilizedin branded apps.

Cameras allow users to snap or scan and providemarketing strategists with the possibility of encourag-ing users to take photos of branded products to sharewith friends or scan the barcodes/QR-codes on prod-ucts to obtain brand/product information or accesspromotions. For example, L’Oreal’s The Color Geniusapp (Figure 3) uses the camera snap feature to askusers to take a picture of their current outfits and thenproposes matching makeup products. The IKEA Catalogapp (Figure 6) and Abercrombie & Fitch’s Hollister SoCal Style app also make use of the camera scanfeature. When users scan selected pages in the printedIKEA catalog, the IKEA Catalog app displays films, 3608room sets, and the stories behind the furniture prod-ucts. When users scan a barcode on Hollister clothing,the Hollister So Cal Style app will display complete,customized looks as well as style tips.

Location awareness has been widely used inbranded apps, providing users with a stream ofinformation based on their locations and interests.Like many branded apps, the Adidas Eyewear appallows users to search for the nearest Adidas storethrough geolocalization.

Various mobile sensor technologies–—touch, tilt,and proximity sensors–—create rich interactions be-tween end-users and mobile devices, allowing usersto carry out single and multi-touch gestures likeswaying, shaking, and swiping, among others. Thesegestures have been widely used in game-centricapps like the Domino’s Pizza Hero app, Johnson &Johnson’s Happy Nurse app, Heinz’s Dip & SqueezeTM

Ketchup Craze app (Figure 4) and Kellogg’s AppleJacksTM Race To The Bowl Rally app.

Table 1. Mobile features used in branded apps

Description

Camera take a snapscan a barcode/QR code to get infor

Location awareness provide user information based on lo

Multi-touch gestures sway, shake, swipe; widely used in g

Voice sensor recognize human voices

Augmented reality allow users to perceive virtual produ

Virtual mirror adjust geometrically to reflect the v

Mobile video short and smart viral video contents

Mobile payments allow users to pay for products direc

Voice sensors allow mobile devices to recognizehuman voices and have been used for CRM to direct-ly answer customer questions. For example, the MyL’Oreal Mirror app is a CRM app that utilizes thevoice sensor to allow for real voice communicationsbetween the user and the app.

Furthermore, augmented reality (AR) technologycombines virtual data with the physical real world,allowing users to perceive virtual products in thereal environment. For example, the IKEA Catalogapp (Figure 6) uses this technique and allows usersto place selected furniture from its catalog in theirown rooms.

Virtual mirror technology adjusts geometricallyto reflect the viewers’ image in real time. Thisfeature is used by cosmetics and apparel brandedapps to allow consumers to check how brandedproducts really look on them. For example,through the virtual mirror feature, the AdidasEyewear app allows users to virtually try onglasses.

Beyond mobile technologies, short and smartmobile advertising videos are used to attract at-tention; in addition, viral video content can beshared through mobile social networks. Mobilepayments allow users to pay for productsdirectly through their mobile devices, anytimeand anywhere. Starbucks developed Square Wal-let, a mobile payment app that was launched inNovember of 2012. Due to the convenience ofSquare Wallet, to date, mobile payments havebeen implemented in over 11,000 Starbucksstores nationwide.

We classify mobile features in Table 1. All of thesefeatures are used in current branded apps.

mation

cation

ame-centric apps

cts in the real environment

iewer’s image in real time

tly from their mobile devices, anytime and anywhere

Table 3. Brand mention used in branded apps

Corporate brand mention Product brand mention

brand name brand namebrand logo brand logomatching brand colors brand packagingbrand mascot matching brand colors

brand mascot

Table 2. Social features used in branded apps

Social feature Description

Interactions among contents user-generated content (UGC)content personalization (e.g., content tagging)content rating and commentingcontent sharing

Interactions among users online chatfollow/unfollow peopleinvite contacts from external social networks

312 Z. Zhao, C. Balague

4.2. Social

Social media provides new opportunities for busi-nesses to engage and interact with potential users,encourage an increased sense of intimacy withusers, and build all-important relationships withpotential users. In digital business, social media isabout harnessing collaborative and peer-to-peerapproaches to create enhanced customer experien-ces through the co-creation of value using collectiveintelligence. Collaboration is self-managed andbased on consumer free will rather than centrallymanaged and imposed by the brands.

Hinchcliffe (2013) predicts that social networkingfeatures will be noticeably added to traditionalbranded apps to allow for enhanced collaborationand sharing. Extensive studies have been conductedon the relationship between social interactions andusers’ online shopping behaviors. Christodoulidesand Michaelidou (2011) showed that social interac-tions positively impact e-satisfaction and e-loyaltyand represent a critical variable in e-commerce.Olbrich and Holsing (2011) demonstrated the posi-tive impact of social functionalities on shoppingbehavior. Shin and Shin (2011) showed that socialpresence is a key element of buying on websites,reinforcing security and confidence. Additionally,Wang, Yu, and Wei (2012) investigated consump-tion-related peer communications through socialmedia and its impacts on users’ product attitudesand purchase intentions.

From the perspective of user involvement, weclassify social features into two categories by takinginto account the interactions among contents andinteractions among users respectively (Table 2).

Interactions among contents contain user-gener-ated content (UGC), content personalization, con-tent rating and commenting, and content sharingfeatures. In relation to UGC, research has shownthat mobile apps tend to focus on sharing content inthe form of photos and videos rather than text. Forexample, both the UNIQLOOKS app (Figure 5) andAvon’s Send A Kiss app allow users to take photos ofthemselves–—either their outfits or lips–—and sharethem with social networks. Dove’s Body Language

Messenger app uses user-generated text, but thetext is highly innovative due to the fact that theletters provided by Dove are shaped by bodies.

In relation to content personalization, a contenttagging feature is rarely incorporated into currentbranded app designs. In relation to content rating,commenting, and sharing, most branded apps allowthemselves or their contents to be liked, rated,commented on by users, and shared with externalsocial networks. However, not all apps aim to build acommunity for socializing.

Interactions among users contain features likefollow/unfollow people, online chat (peer-to-peerconversation among people), and invite contactsfrom existing social networks. However, featureslike online chat and the ability to follow or unfollowpeople are rarely implemented into current brandedapp designs.

4.3. Brand mention

Brand mention indicates how companies markettheir brands within apps. Note that brands can bedivided into corporate and product brands; for ex-ample, the yogurt brand Activia belongs to theDANONE group, so the corporate brand is DANONEand the product brand is Activia. We identify ninebrand mention elements that are used in brandedapps. Four elements are related to corporate brandsand five elements are related to product brands, asshown in Table 3.

Out of these brand mention elements, corporatebrand name/logo and product brand/logo appear onmost branded apps. It is worth mentioning that theproduct brand packaging element often appears ontool-centric apps as product recommendations

Designing branded mobile apps: Fundamentals and recommendations 313

(e.g., L’Oreal’s The Color Genius app in Figure 3 andHeinz’s Food In A Minute app) and on game-centricapps as an object for players to play around (e.g.,Domino’s Pizza Hero app). Also, product brand mascotsare often used in game-centric apps as avatars forplayers (e.g., Kellogg’s Apple JacksTMRace To The BowlRally). Moreover, some branded apps use the samecolor scheme as the brand logo, which is regarded asproviding added value in brand communication.

5. Recommendations for branded apps

In this section, we provide some recommendationsfor branded app design. After reviewing brandedapps from the top 100 brands, we conclude that thecurrently available branded apps are far from per-fect, with most of the mentioned features not yetbeing well established in existing app designs.

The first recommendation relates to businessobjectives and app types. In sections 2 and 3, weidentified five business objectives and five types ofbranded apps. Almost all app types can be designedto target each business objective.

In the case of the communication objective, tool-centric apps are commonly designed to inform usersabout how to use the brand’s products; game-centricapps aim to create an immersive environmentthrough the use of different brand mentions andexposure to good brand moments that increase brandawareness; and design-centric apps communicate asense of creativity, which adds great value to thebrand image.

Table 4. Recommendations for app

Type of app Busine

Tool-centric app commuincreasmake pcollect

Game-centric app brand

increasmake pcollect

Social-centric app brand

increasproducmake pcollect

M-commerce-centric app Salesincreascollect

Design-centric app commuincreascollect

In relation to the CRM objective, tool-centricapps recommend products to branded app users;game-centric apps foster brand engagement whilealso collecting user data; and social-centric appsbuild communities to engage with loyal customers,while the sharing function allows customers to com-municate positive brand images to their socialcircles. Table 4 shows how different types of appscan be used to achieve different business goals.

The second recommendation concerns how differ-ent features are used in app designs. Depending on thetype of branded app, companies can choose to includevarious mobile, social, and brand mention features.

For example, most tool-centric apps allow for appservices or products to be shared with external socialnetworks. Most game-centric apps implement multi-touch gestures like swaying, shaking, and swiping, andallow for achievements and scores to be shared onprominent social networks like Facebook and Twitter.With regard to brand mention elements, most game-centric apps are designed according to their products;thus, product packaging and product mascots are oftenused within branded apps. Some game-centric appsuse the same color scheme as the product’s or brand’scolor scheme. Social-centric apps tend to use socialfeatures like user-generated content, social rating,commenting, and sharing. Camera features are widelyused in social-centric apps because user-generatedcontent in branded apps is more likely to involve photosrather than text. Table 5 illustrates different mobilefeatures, social features, and brand mention elementsrelevant to different types of branded apps.

types

ss objective

nicate brand values and productse brand image and awarenessroduct recommendations

user data

engagement with loyal customerse brand image and awarenessroduct recommendations

user data

engagement with loyal customerse brand image and awarenesst innovationroduct recommendations

user data

e brand image and awareness user data

nicate brand valuese brand image

user data

Table 5. Recommendations for features

Type of apps Mobile feature Social feature Brand mention

Tool-centric app Camera: snap and scanLocation awarenessVoice sensorMobile video

Share with externalsocial networks

Brand name/logoProduct packagingBrand mascot

Game-centric app Voice sensorMulti-touch gestureAugmented reality (AR)

Personalized user avatarInvite from externalsocial networksShare with externalsocial networks

Brand name/logoMatching brand colorsBrand mascot

Social-centric app Camera: snapLocation awareness

User-generated contentSocial annotationOnline chatFollow/Unfollow peopleShare via e-mailShare with externalsocial networks

Brand name/logoMatching brand colorsProduct packaging

M-commerce-centricapp

Camera: scanbarcode/QR codeLocation awarenessAugmented reality (AR)Virtual mirrorMobile payments

Product personalizationShare with externalsocial networks

Brand name/logoMatching brand colorsProduct packaging

Design-centric app Share with externalsocial networks

Brand name/logoMatching brand colors

314 Z. Zhao, C. Balague

6. Don’t forget the users

In this article, we have provided a method thatmarketers can use to think about and execute busi-ness strategies related to branded app design. Wehave identified five business objectives, five types ofbranded apps, and three functional building blocksand provided various examples of relevant bestpractices. Note that companies should choose thefeatures that they apply to their own business strat-egies wisely; furthermore, the features included inapp designs should be chosen on a case-by-casebasis. At the same time, the user perspective needsto be taken into consideration in the design process.Good mobile apps are aligned with different levelsof user motivations and should engage them pas-sionately. Intrinsic motivations for the use of mobileapps were discussed at the beginning of this articleand include entertainment, functionality, informa-tion, socialization, intellectual stimulation, follow-ing a trend, and learning. Moreover, extrinsic usermotivations to use of mobile apps can be leveragedthrough symbolic (e.g., the UNIQLO app) or mone-tary benefits. Finally, user attitudes toward branded

apps need to be studied further to guide marketerson how to build better apps.

References

Bellman, S., Potter, R. F., Treleaven-Hassard, S., Robinson, J. A.,& Varan, D. (2011). The effectiveness of branded mobilephone apps. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 25(4), 191—200.

Calder, B. J., Malthouse, E. C., & Schaedel, U. (2009). An experi-mental study of the relationship between online engagementand advertising effectiveness. Journal of Interactive Market-ing, 23(4), 321—331.

CAMPER. (2011). Camper weather: Have a Camper day! (2011).Description retrieved from https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/camper-weather.-have-camper/id406640783?mt=8

Christodoulides, G., & Michaelidou, N. (2011). Shopping motivesas antecedents of e-satisfaction and e-loyalty. Journal ofMarketing Management, 27(1/2), 181—197.

Hinchcliffe, D. (2013). 2013 predictions for enterprise socialmedia. Retrieved January 18, 2013, from http://www. zdnet.com/2013-predictions-for-enterprise-social-media-7000009964/

Ho, H-Y., & Syu, L-Y. (2010). Uses and gratifications of mobileapplication users. Paper presented at the International Con-ference on Electronics and Information Engineering, Kyoto,Japan.

Designing branded mobile apps: Fundamentals and recommendations 315

Interbrand. Best global brands: 2013. Retrieved from http://www.bestglobalbrands.com/previous-years/2013

Kourouthanassis, P. E., Georgiadis, C., Zamani, E., & Giaglis, G. M.(2010). Explaining the adoption of mobile Internetapplications. Paper presented at the Mobile Business and2010 Ninth Global Mobility Roundtable, Athens, Greece.

Nike. (2013). July 2013: Making a difference. Retrieved fromhttp://nikemakers.com/making-app

Oinas-Kukkonen, H., & Kurkela, V. (2003). Developing successfulmobile applications. Paper presented at the International Con-ference on Computer Science and Technology, Cancun, Mexico.

Olbrich, R., & Holsing, C. (2011). Modeling consumer purchasingbehavior in social shopping communities with clickstream

data. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 16(2),15—40.

Shin, D-H., & Shin, Y-J. (2011). Consumers’ trust in virtual mallshopping: The role of social presence and perceived security.International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 27(5),450—475.

Vazquez, P. M. (2011, February 24). Uniqlooks: Uniqlo’s newfashion community. Retrieved from http://www.psfk.com/2011/02/uniqlooks-uniqlos-new-fashion-community.html

Wang, X., Yu, C., & Wei, Y. (2012). Social media peer communi-cation and impacts on purchase intentions: A consumer so-cialization framework. Journal of Interactive Marketing,26(4), 198—208.