No, there’s not a typo in today’s headline.
It turns out that Brandon Jennings just launched his own app.
Now chances are you’ve never heard of Jennings. He’s a solid player in the NBA, laboring this year with my beleaguered home team, the Detroit Pistons. Like a lot of players in that middle echelon of the league, Jennings has to work hard to get noticed, especially on a team that has been a stranger to the playoffs for several years, while going through another turbulent season.
All the more reason for Jennings to take control of his brand. And what’s remarkable about all of this is that his app is well designed, loaded with content, a great representation of his personality, his lifestyle, and what he values.
It’s all about #BRANDed, and the app gives his fans the chance to get to know him better, through his taste in fashion and music, as well as his community activities.
Interestingly, the release of Jennings’ app coincides with a mobile application from a rock band you may have heard of called “KISS Photo Bomb.” It gives fans of the band a chance to “KISSIFY” their photos and texts with elements from the band – make-up, effects, and band members. And the app also emphasizes sharing via Instagram, and Twitter.
There is no better marketing machine in music than KISS, a band that has long understood how digital resources can fuel fan passion for what they do. Strategist Michael Brandvold, the guy who engineered KISS’s early online strategy has been a frequent speaker at Jacobs Media events, has acknowledged just how savvy this band truly is.
And the digital tipping point plays right into the hands of great brands like KISS, and up and coming brands like Brandon Jennings.
Frequent sharing of online elements continues to grow as we learned in Techsurvey10. Now more than a third of our respondents say they frequently share interesting, fun things they run across online, in apps, in emails, and other sources. The KISS app takes advantage of that fast-rising mobile/social trend that fosters sharing.
So if NBA players and rock bands continue to develop their own apps, it only stands to reason that some of radio’s biggest and best personality brands follow suit, providing their fans with a chance to enjoy the experience via mobile. This could include everything from podcasts, benchmarks, logo ware, community events, and anything else that makes them special. Add social sharing and fan interaction, and you’re connecting with fans on their favorite must-carry the device – their smartphone.
What do Gene Simmons and Brandon Jennings have in common? Probably not a whole lot, but they share the strong realization that it is paramount to be where their fans are, offering them compelling ways to enjoy their special style of entertainment. You can bet that a whole bunch of NBA players and rock bands are asking their teams a lot of questions today after looking at these customized, personality apps.
Sounds like another opportunity for radio to take advantage of the mobile revolution.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
- Radio + Thanksgiving = Gratitude - November 27, 2024
- Is It Quittin’ Time For SiriusXM? - November 26, 2024
- Radio, It Oughta Be A Crime - November 25, 2024
Leave a Reply