Everyone knows Apple was bound to profit from sales of the new iPhone 6 — not to mention the reverberations from iOS 8. Now Fiksu, Inc., a developer of award-winning mobile marketing technologies, has hard numbers showing some interesting impacts.
“The Fiksu App Store Competitive Index, which tracks the average aggregate daily download volume of the top 200 free iOS apps, hit an all-time high of 7.8 million, representing a whopping 42 percent rise over September and a 39 percent year-over-year increase,” according to Fiksu. “That surge of activity was primarily driven by the unprecedented popularity of the iPhone 6, as millions of users loaded up their new devices with their favorite apps.”
True, the competition for mobile device user app attention was intense. But Fiksu determined that “The first set of apps users download on their new iPhone 6s are likely to be those they can’t live without, which makes them much more likely to become loyal users of those apps. The trend underscores the importance of nurturing user loyalty prior to device launches and gift-giving seasons.”
“While recent indexes have shown a steady stream of escalating costs, the October index numbers validate another important trend: the increasing importance of apps to consumers,” said Micah Adler, CEO of Fiksu. “Mobile marketers must start thinking strategically about their marketing tactics over the longer term and figure out how to use apps to connect with customers. October’s hindsight should serve as a guide for marketers preparing for impending holiday activity.”
There are untapped Android opportunities, too, according to Fiksu analysts.
“The October Indexes showed CPL on Android at $0.10, up 28 percent month-over-month but down 26 percent year-over-year. Android CPI increased slightly to $1.10, representing a 1 percent increase from September, and 2 percent increase year-over-year,” they explained. “Given that costs and competition are lower on Android, marketers should look to use this channel to their advantage.”