What is the Right Way to Market through Facebook Applications?

December 9th, 2008

In yesterday’s Adweek column, Digital Editor Brian Morrissey fired a shot across the bow of branded Facebook applications as a viable Facebook marketing tactic.

Calling sponsored apps “the newest brand graveyard,” Morrissey pointed out that several applications built for big brands like Nike, Ford, Microsoft, and Fedex that have not gained lasting traction. Says Morrissey:

Brands, in general, have found Facebook unforgiving terrain for marketing. It’s well known, for instance, that banner ads perform poorly on the site. (A recent IDC report called advertising on social networks “stillborn.”) But the Facebook Platform, launched 18 months ago — which lets developers create social applications for users — was thought to offer the perfect opportunity to move beyond banners to provide “branded utility.” So far, however, Facebook apps from brands like Coca-Cola, Champion, Ford and Microsoft are as popular as desolate Second Life islands…

Application experts pointed to several other reasons so many top brands have fallen short. In some cases, they said, brand apps are too complicated. Some provide little worthwhile interactivity and are overly branded. And despite Murphy’s admonition, most exist as one-off experiments, tied to a launch-and-forget campaign approach versus one created with the mind-set of a developer, which leaves room for tinkering. What’s more, many companies build applications on the cheap, frequently relying on “viral” distribution rather than buying media. One overriding criticism: They’re often little more than ads.

Morrissey’s disappointment with the ongoing metrics enjoyed by branded Facebook applications makes sense, and sheds light a much deeper problem: designing a good Facebook application that will engage users over time is really hard.

The Challenges of Application Design

At the end of the day, branded Facebook applications are a hybrid between an ad unit and a consumer product. Designers of branded Facebook applications must be experienced in the ways of product development on the Facebook Platform, or the engagement graph is going to shark fin pretty quickly.

For many brand advertisers, getting a lot of engagement during the focus period of the campaign that then decreases quickly afterward is still a satisfactory result. For example, many contests and event promotions fall into this category.

However, for many other advertisers, sustainable engagement may be quite valuable. If the application dynamic generates sustained gift giving over a longer period of time, campaign ROI can often be several times higher.

Unfortunately, there’s no simple formula for building a winning Facebook application. But for those interested in learning advanced Facebook application marketing tactics, check out the Facebook Marketing Bible. It goes into detail on all the vital ways applications can grow virally and engage users on the Facebook Platform, and is a valuable resource that can be clearly applied to your specific marketing context.

There are also several firms which specialize in branded application campaigns, including Votigo, AdParlor, Buddy Media, and Context Optional. This blog often features examples of their work as reference cases for the advertiser community.

An Alternative: Branded Integrations With Existing Facebook Applications

Designing your own branded Facebook application isn’t the only way to engage a broad audience on the Facebook Platform. Many large application developers offer advertisers interesting avenues for brand integration with parts of their product.

Brands interested in reaching a large audience in a vertical where good applications exist, but who don’t want to design, build, and drive traffic to their own Facebook application, may be interested in working with the application developer directly or through a rep firm.

For example, brands interested in reaching a large movie viewing audience can work with Flixster, those interested in music can work with iLike, and those interested in reaching a large sports or television viewing audience can work with Watercooler (note: I work with Watercooler). For example, Target recently ran an integration with the trivia feature in Watercooler’s TVLoop applications, combined with a rich media awareness campaign, promoting the launch of the “Sex and the City” DVD.

Brands can also work with rep firms that work with Facebook app developers, like Federated Media or Appssavvy. These firms help match brands with developers who offer applications which could be a good fit for the campaign’s goals.

Conclusion

While branded Facebook applications are not easy to create, they can be vehicles for delivering engagement well above and beyond what most advertisers see in traditional display campaigns.

Advertisers interested in building the deepest connections with Facebook users should look to the opportunities Facebook applications afford - whether it be by creating their own application or working with an existing application developer, the rich social and viral opportunities found in well designed Facebook applications are hard to match elsewhere.

Check out The Facebook Marketing Bible: 40+ Ways to Market Your Brand, Company, Product, or Service Inside Facebook

Posted by Justin Smith

Filed in Advertising, Applications, Business, Development, Facebook, Games, International, Marketing, Metrics, MySpace

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9 Responses to “What is the Right Way to Market through Facebook Applications?”

Brian Verkley Says:
December 9th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
What most “brand” apps don’t get, is that people don’t want to spend their time interacting with an ad. Some brands do it well, but the majority don’t offer enough entertainment or information to be worthwhile. Most that grow virally are those offering entry into a contest in exchange for becoming a fan. I’m not sure that works past the first few days though.

——-
Facebook Game: Fable Island
http://apps.facebook.com/fableisland/ — How will your fable be told?
Craig Hodges Says:
December 10th, 2008 at 1:17 am
Brian Morrissey has opened an interesting debate.

I would encourage believers in online social networks and open platforms to engage with the topic. Indulge me here, and allow me to attempt to do this in a quirky way.

As a (sometimes) commentator and branded application advocate - through my business development work with Additude (Australia) - I welcome Brian’s observations about Branded Applications and his associated criticism and recommendations.

Now I want to surprise you, I want to start by taking the high ground and venture to adopt a prescriptive posture rather than descriptive one.

This debate needs to open up even further still, so much so that it needs to begin to lay bare more of the hard facts and nascent complexities being overlooked or mismanaged by those who have been charged to make ‘branded applications’ work. Why are poor decisions being made? What are we learning?

Here we should collectively be calling for a level of frank discussion that ultimately brings the Application Developer and innovative Brand Management Communities closer together, not further apart, as one might expect with the level of criticism and scepticism being dished out in Brian Morrissey’s article.

From my experience, Developers and Brand Managers have a shared responsibility and need to ensure collaboration does not leave out key responsibilities that would see fledgling applications thrive. As Chris Cunningham (CEO of Appssavvy) pointed out in Brian’s article:

“Marketers want to build something that’s product and marketing first (while) the developer wants to provide utility, functionality and better someone’s life”.

Well, and here’s the start of quirky analogy, that smacks of different “parenting expectations” to me.

So how do we proceed? What discussion framework would deepen the debate?

Let me build on my analogy;

1. UGLY START: We need to acknowledge that Branded Applications (BAs) are in their infancy. The majority are less than 18 months old. And heck, many newly borns are not terribly attractive at that age are they? They are essentially very needy and disfunctional. They can get attention, but often for the wrong reasons. Yet they also can manage to garner the attention and interest from those who care.

2. ROLES: To thrive BAs need the shared parenting role to be clearly defined. Application Developers (Mothers) are impregnated with Application Ideas by Brands (Fathers) with the supporting nudges coming from the Brand’s respective agencies (Goaders). So are both parties equally committed? and for how long? Are they ready to talk in depth about the complexities of their roles before and after birth (launch)?

3. PUBLICISE: For the BAs to survive after birth (launch) the parents need to prepare the support systems for each BA. The community needs to know when and where they can see the BA to give it support. The BA needs attention drawn to it, that is to be publicised for it to be embraced (popular).

NB At the moment, many BAs are seeminly conceived out of wedlock. Its often hush hush.I say this as commonly at least one parent doesn’t appear to be putting too much energy into the newborn. BA experimentation is often a quiet little secret with Brands. Why? Well, they fear failure or identification with failure. Hence Brian’s recommendation for Brands to “adopt” existing popular applications as their own branding vehicles. My response: this is a short term cop out.

4. ATTENTIVE: Once the BA is launched the parents need to be highly attentive. They need to look for signs of growth and monitor feedback carefully. Each BA is unique (caveat: some limited cloning is going on). The BA must be allowed to adapt and grow in a supportive environment. The community of application users, who install and interact with the BA, in this sense become the dynamic life force sustaining the BA.

BAs needs to be ready for several reiterations, be attentive to fans and users.

5. GOALS: As the BA matures, the parents can educate or train the BA to perform certain tasks which nuture both the family and the user community. This will take the form of new functionality. And here I agree with developers, BAs need to have depth, utility and user appeal. BAs also need to develop skills and features in order to function well and contribute to the goals set out by the parents (ie serve the family)

6. VALUES: The BA also needs to embody certain values, or at least be aligned with the parent’s values. Shouting, boasting and demanding attention in a crude marketing sense will not win friends in the long run. Take note Campaigners, people will rush over to a noisy BA, but that will flee just as quick when all is just bluster. In this respect, too many BAs look NOTHING like their parent companies or brands. Parents: alignment and positive-association please.

7. MUTUAL EDUCATION: Prepare for the BA to also educate the parents. Yes, CRM people take note, applications are themselves a source of insight and feedback. The source of this coming from the dynamic social network user community. Market data can be collected, in an opt-in fashion. Then again, if you are too needy for your BA to perform you may also risk rejection. Remember that rejection of your BA amongst a certain target community might say more about your BA expectations and brand fit than the application or the community itself.

8. INTERACTION: Undertand how the BA can interact with other siblings. Don’t isolate the BA. Socialise the BA. Introduce the BA to family support networks (websites, iPhone, eDMS, TVCs).

Finally, have faith in your BA, because if you don’t no one else will. Its a fickle environment right now, but be bold and aim for your BA to lift the application benchmark.

So at this point, I hope you can see that Developers and Brand Managers (parents) still have much to discuss. And for this we should all say thanks to uncle Brian (Morrissey) for pointing this out.
What is the Right Way to Market through Facebook Applications? | Stariver Templates Says:
December 10th, 2008 at 3:19 am
[...] See the rest here: What is the Right Way to Market through Facebook Applications? [...]
Michael Lazerow Says:
December 10th, 2008 at 6:40 am
I’d encourage you to check out my response in iMedia: http://blogs.imediaconnection.com/BlogDetail.aspx?BlogID=223

Brian knew what he wanted to write and ignored suggestions of programs that are working well.

Mike
Justin Smith Says:
December 10th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Craig, great framework! I agree, there is definitely a lot more that developers and brand managers need to discuss. Only after more brands have a deeper understanding of the space will they feel comfortable doing more innovative and meaningful integrations.
Kevin Tate Says:
December 11th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Great points Justin.

I think the distinction between “Advertisement” vs. “Valuable App/Content” is a very important one when it comes to the success or failure of a Branded FB App. While that line is “blurring” in general - it tends to be pretty clear on a per-user/per-app basis.

We’ve built a lot of these Branded Apps for Agencies and Clients - and find that the most successful ones are those that actually bring some aspect of their product, service, content or customer experience into Facebook… and take advantage of FB’s capabilities to amplify their existing customer momentum.

…rather than trying to create an interrupt-focus “Ad”- no matter how entertaining it may be.
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