Wall Street Journal Launches Free iPhone App
Posted by michael on Apr 17, 2009 in Mobile Marketing
The Wall Street Journal has is producing music to the average investor’s ears today with their announced free application for the iPhone.
Ironically, in world that now sees established newspapers going under at an alarming rate as a result of dwindling subscriber fees, the Wall Street Journal is giving their mobile content at no charge — even though the Journal’s online content comes at a fairly hefty price of $103 per year ( it’s $140 for the print edition).
What will this likely mean?
Probably scaled back articles that will almost force your subscription dollars eventually to be able to finish reading the article you started. (But that’s just a long term guess). For now, the app has a good vibe. And according to early reports, the application looks and feels a lot like The New York Times iPhone app.
Since Blackberry unveiled a similar (and free) app for Wall Street Journal late last summer, the iPhone development isn’t really an unexpected launch. On board, as you would anticipate, are all the latest headlines, editor picks, searchable content, and, naturally, mega-advertisements that are likely responsible for keeping the app free.
To check it out yourself, visit wsj.com.
oliverw | Apr 17, 2009 | Reply
Unfortunately there are number of issues with the mobile advertising approach that the WSJ iPhone application. Some WSJ’s responsibility and some the advertisers responsibility. The key issues are:
1. Poor Placement
2. No Call to Action
3. Ad takes me out of the application to a normal webpage
I’ve blogged about it in more detail here: http://mobileuxp.wordpress.com/2009/04/17/why-dont-people-understand-mobile-advertising/
It’s hard enough to get advertisers to invest in mobile advertising, we have to provide a better experience for customers to help get a better return for advertisers.