The app won’t die. Despite the recent flood of attention to responsive Web design, with its promise to provide users a consistent experience across devices, publishers—even the most progressive—remain committed to stand-alone mobile apps. Take BuzzFeed. The social news site would seem a likely candidate to shun walled-off apps as mobile Web traffic continues to grow. But that’s not the case. “Responsive design has a lot of buzz right now, but it’s not a blanket solution that can be applied everywhere,” emailed Chris Johanesen, BuzzFeed’s vp of product. “While it would be nice, in theory, to have one solution that worked everywhere, if you want to ensure everyone has the best experience possible, you need to optimize for many devices and use cases.” Publishers whose business model relies heavily on ink-on-paper subscriptions won’t be giving up on apps, though, since digital editions can be counted as paid circulation, on which ad sales are based. Apps are key to Time Inc.’s strategy, said Perry Solomon, vp, digital business development, adding that the “consumer response to our digital magazines on tablets and phones has been incredibly strong.” The New York Times echoed that point. The Times’ iOS and Android apps have been “very sound investments,” with “incredible audiences” and “great subscriber bases,” said Alexandra Hardiman, executive director of mobile products. In fact, the Times doesn’t view mobile Web and apps as an either-or, Hardiman added. “We have a very... Continue reading at 'AdWeek'
[ AdWeek | 2013-06-25 00:00:00 UTC ]