Unlocking the port
Another big change Apple handed marketers with the new OS is the port that resides on the bottom of every iPhone device. Apple has opened up the port to allow third-party manufacturers and developers to create accessories for use on the device as an add-on.
The iPhone can now essentially control anything that plugs into that port -- something Broitman calls a "goldmine for marketing value."
Apple has already demonstrated the functionality for pharmaceutical and medical benefits. Broitman expects numerous marketing functions to follow in kind.
The iPhone ad networks
One group that was ready the instant Apple released the new iPhone and OS were the ad networks that have grown like wildfire, stoked by the insatiable appetite for applications and user engagement on the device.
Entire ad networks and mobile ad businesses have been built around the iPhone platform, even as nearly every major competitor in the wireless space has readied and released so-called iPhone killers.
A pair of those networks -- Quattro Wireless and AdMob -- has released a variety of new ad types and formats that take better advantage of the iPhone's new capabilities.
Advertisers are beginning to leverage the iPhone's touch screen and its ability to support features such as custom maps within an ad, says Eswar Priyadarshan, CTO for Quattro Wireless.
By creating a more website-like experience directly within an ad, marketers are able to maintain engagement with consumers without requiring them to exit the application in use.
In the end, it's all about reaching and engaging the consumer, and the new capabilities give brands a bigger sandbox, Priyadarshan adds.
Another simple update is the landscape keyboard, which is now available in every application on the iPhone. Priyardarshan points out that the seemingly basic update makes fill-in more accessible and opens the door further for direct response advertisers.
Unfortunately, Flash is still nowhere to be found on the iPhone operating system, but ad networks are creating plenty of marketing opportunity outside the popular online platform.
<< Previous page | Next page >>
