Mike Carter, Electric Visual’s director of global marketing, let me know about an interesting application the brand has created for iPhone. He says Electric is the first brand in the industry to create one.
I asked Mike and Electric Art Director Carl Smith a little more about the application – how it works, what it does, and how it can help the Electric brand.
What does the application do?
M.C.: Electric’s iPhone Application in a very basic explanation allows us to communicate our brand message and present our products to any iPhone user by downloading an application straight to their phone. In its current state, features include everything from: complete range of Electric sunglass products, videos, marketing news, ad campaign, and ‘where to buy’ dealer locator which locates the top five shops nearest you including GPS map directions to Electric retailers any where in the world.
How did Electric come up with the idea?
M.C.: It’s important to always take note of what things are happening outside of our immediate industry for marketing and creative ideas and inspiration. Technology is obviously changing rapidly, now more than ever, so we are constantly trying to challenge each other and creatively think and live in the ‘what’s next?’ world. It’s one of the most important factors for growth, and this falls right in line with that thought process. During one of our creative meetings, Carl found something interesting Chanel was doing, and the ideas expanded from there. When he showed the potential of what could be done, it was pretty mind-blowing.
C.S.: The iPhone is such an awesome tool for business and pleasure. Today’s cell phone is much more than just a phone and supplies a constant flow of information and interactive platforms. An iPhone app in our industry was inevitable.
How were you able to make it happen/get involved with the iPhone?
C.S.: The timing on this project couldn’t have been better. The day after I was experimenting with the Chanel app, a developer contacted us and asked if Electric was interested in exploring an iPhone app.
How do people get the application if they want it?
C.S: Downloading the Electric iPhone app is extremely easy. User can download for free on iTunes or on their iPhone or iPod touch (a wi-fi connection is necessary for direct iPhone downloads). The application is listed in the lifestyle section of the app store. You can also search Electric Visual on the app store. As of today 15,000 users have downloaded the Electric iPhone app.
M.C.: Like Carl said, its basic. I definitely don’t consider myself an extreme tech geek by any means, but this one’s pretty basic. It takes two minutes.
How will the application benefit Electric?
M.C.: The immediate benefit from a marketing standpoint is that we will have a direct line of communication to our customers while they are away from their computer. Users will have instant access to our latest news, product range and color ways, current ad campaign, video, global dealer locator ‘where to buy’ including directions to our retailers. With the phone becoming a basic extension of the computer, it gives us another key outlet for brand communication.
One of the largest benefits of the application is the potential mass-market exposure to reach our Electric consumer community globally. There are currently over 10 million iPhone users, every one of them now has free potential access to Electric’s brand message through a simple download.
The future benefits and potential for the brand is infinite. The sales use and potential have some of the most exciting possibilities.
We also see potential environmental benefits to utilize as a basic paperless catalog.
C.S.: The future functions of this application will create more user involvement and be extremely user friendly. For our first upgrade next week, we are adding downloadable ad images and wallpapers as well as new marketing content. Electric looks to keep this application as up to date as possible. The application will benefit Electric by providing an increased consumer connection to Electric product and the creative marketing behind it.
M.C.: These are challenging, unprecedented times, but in the strangest of ways it is also one of the more exciting times. It forces everyone to do more with less and push each other to be innovative. We think this is a great step and an example of moving in that direction.
Version 2.0 is where things can get really exciting, we see this as a huge opportunity.
Â
