Significant investment in mobile apps predicted this year
A new US report predicts significant investment in mobile apps this year, although spending on social apps is expected to stagnate.
DM2PRO and Quattro Wireless reveal that most US marketers are planning to invest in a mobile app in 2010, with the iPhone the handset of choice, reports eMarketer.
Engagement was the top reason to choose either mobile or social as an app platform, but social sites were perceived as better for many top goals, including engagement and audience targeting.
The top one-third of advertisers and agencies using mobile apps planned to up their investments by 75% or more, the report said.
It also found that, 15% of advertisers and agencies spent more than 60% of their app budgets on promotion in 2009, but more than one-third spent less than 5%. Promotional budgets will need to increase along with overall investment for apps to find their way to users.
Earlier this week, comScore revealed that the most downloaded iPhone app in the UK is the Carling iPint, which lets users pretend to drink a pint of beer.
The top downloads in the US and Europe as a whole, are Facebook and music service Shazam respectively.
In December, analyst Screen Digest forecast that revenues from mobile applications other than voice and messaging will double in the next four years to reach €100 billion a year by the end of 2013.