Oscars – Free

The official Oscars app brought to you by ABC digital is the perfect companion for all things Oscars. Before the day of the show you can predict your winners with full lists of the nominees. You can view movie trailers, buzz worthy videos and hosted specials on fashion and nominated films and actors. And for the day of the show, you won’t get closer to Kodak Theater than with this app! It features two modes: the WATCH and DIRECT. In watch mode, you get a live hosted experience of the show, and in the direct mode you pick any of the six camera vantage points and zoom in on the action. Experience the Hollywood glam for FREE with this app in the iTunes Store!

Vanity Fair Hollywood – Free

Whether you have a betting pool with your friends or you want to test your skills as a movie critic, this app is best for your voting needs. It has a ballot for all the 84^th Academy Award nominees and allows you to cast your vote and compare with friends. Not only does the interface reflect the glossy and rich experience of flipping through the actual magazine, but each nominee has Vanity Fair’s capsule review and each category has the editors’ picks. Let the voting begin and download the app for FREE in the iTunes Store or Android Market.

Live From the Red Carpet – Free

Let’s be real–The Oscars are all about the fashion choices. Especially with E!’s Live From the Red Carpet app! You can get the full insider coverage of all the fashion buzz from the red carpet. Get photos of the best and worst fashions from the show, and exclusive livestreams of the red carpet activity including personal interviews with your favorite stars. Drool over the red carpet bling for FREE from the iTunes Store or Android Market!

IMDb Movies & TV – Free

This resource for movie and TV info will give you all the things you need to know about your Oscar nominated films on the go. In addition to the site’s own ratings and reviews system, the app has incorporated Metacritic reviews and ratings as a secondary opinion reference. Explore this year’s nominated films as well as past Best Picture award winners and brush up on your movie trivia. Get access to this database of movie knowledge for FREE when you download this app in the iTunes Store or Android Market.

Movies by Flixster, with Rotten Tomatoes – Free

As you’re watching the Oscars, you are making mental notes of what movies you need to watch and which ones you can pass on. With the Movies by Flixster app you can search for local theaters near you that are playing certain movies, as well as checking the Box Office, Upcoming, DVD, and My Movies sections. The app has also integrated Rotten Tomatoes review, so you can get all the trusted resources and reviews about the Oscar buzz-worthy movies. Get the app for FREE from the iTunes Store or Android Market.

GetGlue – Free

Check-in apps have been making waves, but the hottest check-in app doesn’t pin you to a physical geographical location. GetGlue lets you check-in to TV shows and programs, and the Oscars will be the hottest check-in of the season. Once you check in to the program, you can share updates and engage in conversations via Facebook & Twitter. This year, there is even an exclusive GetGlue widget on Oscar.com where you can check-in ahead of the telecast for a special sticker/badge. Get on this Foursquare for movies app, and download for FREE in the iTunes Store or Android Market!

Awards Hero: Oscars Edition – Free

With this app, you can create, organize and promote betting pools through an easy to use interface. Simply choose your winners by tapping on your pick in the nominees list and wait til the day of the show to see who wins. In addition to having a great navigation, you can view movie posters and actor photos from their historical database to brush up on your history of the Oscars. Start your bets and let the games begin—oh, and the app is FREE for a limited time so don’t miss it on the iTunes Store.

Scene It? Movies 2 – $1.99

Looking for some fun activities to pass the time with your friends during commercial breaks? Play movie trivia on the Scene it? Movies 2 app! Similar to the layout of the physical board game, answer questions on different topics such as actors, genres or decades and with an in-app purchase, even answer additional question packs based on themes such as Sci-Fi and Horror or Award Winning Cinema – perfect when viewing the Oscars. There are leaderboards so you can keep track of scores with your friends and post your high scores directly to Facebook and Twitter. Test your trivia knowledge for $1.99 in the iTunes Store!

With that said, we’re asking all you mobile consumers to take our quick survey to gauge how you really feel about your mobile phone. If you lost it, would you mourn it or move on? Do you prefer more alone time with mobile or your man (or woman)? What scenarios has your mobile phone witnessed, right in the palm of your hand?

Answers will be revealed during MWC next week, so keep up with @VeltiMobile to find out the results.
Click the button below to take our survey!
POLL: How Do You Value Your Mobile Phone?

Tiki Kart 3D is just the right thing for your racing fix, and apparently millions worldwide. We had a chance to chat with Aaron Boucher, CEO of Arb Studios, about the wild success of Tiki Kart 3D and why they decided to go with an ad revenue model. With both an Android and iOS version of the game, here’s what Aaron had to say about the performance of his app with the Velti Mobclix Exchange.

Total Downloads:

• 4.3 million on Android
• 2 million on iOS (since January 2012 launch)

1) What inspired you to build the app?

I like racing games, Mario Kart especially, but always wanted more freedom when driving. Mario Kart is a great, classic game to play on gaming consoles, but I wanted more options with the racing. So that’s why we created Tiki Kart, to use real physics to drive upside down and do real wheelies, slides, etc. in game. Also, the physics aren’t faked for AI to save calculations; we run full physics on the AI so they are subject to the same challenges as you.

2) Why does the ad revenue model make sense for you?

Simply put: it makes the most money on Android for us. And at the end of the day, the constant revenue is what keeps our company going!

3) Why did you choose Mobclix?

I like the fact that the fill rate is pretty much 100% around the world, and it doesnt seem like you lose fill rate anywhere, which is very important to us as our games are free. On top of that, the eCPMs are also great, in comparison to other networks we’ve tried who may not have the fill rate Mobclix does.

4) What tips do you have for other developers?

If you’re looking to make the most out of app monetization, Mobclix is a great platform for your free apps. Mobclix is a solid, scalable ad exchange that is a sound way to make revenue in a market where everyone expects to pay nothing for our hard work.

Users interact separately with their phones, with one another, and with your physical storefronts. But what used to be only a one-way conversation of location between users and brands is evolving into a three-way conversation: between smartphone users, their social networks, and businesses.

Marketers never imagined for these three worlds to collide, but as smartphones have gotten more advanced and are reaching near pocket personal computer status, the lines between social, local and mobile are starting to blur and converge. With more accurate GPS technology, accelerating speed of 3G & 4G networks, increased adoption of smartphones, and use of mCommerce and location-based social networking services, brands need to consider incorporating SoLoMo into their marketing strategies.

So what is SoLoMo—or better yet—the So-Lo-Mo-tion?

SoLoMo refers to user interaction with brands, products and businesses through their social networks and gamified applications using their mobile phones to share their location, pictures and favorite places. In most cases, SoLoMo is defined as any consumer initiated location-based engagement with a geographic area via their mobile device through sharing their experience, mentioning or liking on social media or interacting with other users.

Two factors come into play with SoLoMo:

1. Social Location Sharing
With social and location products, the issue of privacy is a huge concern so smartphone users have the ability to choose who they want to share their locations and experiences with. A large number choose to share information with their closed network of friends, many others choose to keep their information public and share their experiences with the world. The public shares have proven to be a powerful and influential marketing tool when it comes to giving exposure to products and retailers and influencing purchase decision. When a user gets particularly excited about a brand interaction or experience, they will share with their social networks almost instantly.

2. Social Location Marketing
When brands and businesses use social location marketing, they are engaging with users on mobile devices who are prepared to share their location. Now that brands are able to interact with consumers in the mobile sphere, the opportunities for creating more intimate experiences are huge. Techniques such as targeted messages combined with real-time location data tracking open up a new era in marketing to consumers.

Some popular implementations of SoLoMo include:

• Location-based check in services – Businesses create their check in property. When users check-in, they can receive advertising and promotions for special offers. They can also see friends who have checked-in nearby or that are already there.
• Location-based offers – Companies delivering and enabling mobile marketing activities according to the social sharing factor can deliver offers to customers based on geographic location, time of day, and demand.
• Location-based loyalty programs – Users can register a digital loyalty card and elect to update their check-ins via Twitter or Facebook. The user data is input to a CRM system so the merchants can use the information to send personalized offers.

Certain vertical industries have proven to provide better opportunities to employ SoLoMo marketing campaigns than others; successful industries include:

• Fashion – Luxury brands to small boutiques successfully blend social media and location-based marketing by offering exclusive content and making users feel privileged to deals and offers.
• Retail – Location-based check-ins can provide businesses with a unique way to reward regular customers through loyalty programs.
• Restaurants – A popular method of using check-in services is to offer time sensitive offers such as happy hour check-ins where users check in during a certain time to receive free items or discounts.

Despite its growing popularity, SoLoMo does have one main limitation: users’ willingness to participate due to privacy and safety concerns. But as location-based services establish better privacy controls, more users will slowly adopt and participate in the opportunities to receive offers and exclusive content. SoLoMo offers great potential to truly engage with consumers without being intrusive. To learn more about how Velti can help you send targeted messages through mobile CRM databases or other mobile marketing campaign tactics, visit our Velti mGage™ page.

Do you think SoLoMo is a worthwhile mobile marketing investment? Or is it too much of a privacy concern to catch on with most consumers? Give our comments section some love, and share your thoughts!

With only 2 weeks for this app to thrive, MagicSolver wanted to use in-app ads to monetize their Valentine’s Day 2011 App, but the standard banner size ads of 300×50 were not effective. Insert: the Velti Mobclix Exchange…

Stats

• Total Downloads: 6 million
• Revenue from in-app advertising: 80%
• Revenue from in-app purchases: 20%
• Average CTR: 1.12%

Ad Strategy

In order to help the Valentine’s Day 2011 app get higher click-through rates, we advised MagicSolver to adjust their ad strategy with different sized banners placed in strategic spots within the app. We suggested they keep the 300×50 banner size, but also add a larger 300×250 banner size that was shown less frequently, resulting in the larger banner having a higher eCPM. To make sure there was no user backlash for implementing larger ad banners, the 300×250 unit was strategically placed after the user was rewarded, seamlessly integrating it into the overall user experience.

Outcome

With the right ad strategy of larger ad sizes & strategic ad placements, total downloads of Valentine’s Day 2011 jumped to approximately 6 million! On top of that, 80% of the revenue was accounted for by in-app advertising and the average click-through rates resulted in a 1.12% increase. With the power of the Velti Mobclix exchange, MagicSolver was able to greatly improve the performance of their in-app ads, just in time for Valentine’s Day!

It’s been a few months since Advanced Payments has launched, but in its early stages, we’ve already seen its positive affect on our participating publishers, Cloudburst in particular. We had the opportunity to sit down with Ron and the team to find out why they decided to sign-up, how his team members have benefitted thus far, and how the company has taken advantage of Advanced Payments to increase app production by 150% in the past month!

Why did you decide to get started with Advanced Payments?

Working with Mobclix and receiving Advanced Payments has allowed Cloudburst to see positive cash flow in a very timely manner. These funds are necessary to our needs due to the company’s fast growth and long term goals in relationship to our business projections.

All of us participating in the app industry know that the possibility for increased popularity of a game can lead to huge revenue. Any time we can process payments into our coffers faster we are allowed the agility to focus on our growth and where we want to take our product next.

That is what working with Advanced Payments has done for Cloudburst. It simply makes sense in our existing business model, and within this fast paced industry, to process incoming payments as quickly, efficiently, and safely for us (and for the user) as possible.

Which payment plan did you choose & why?

That was a matter of long discussion for our staff here at Cloudburst Games, and quite frankly it was a difficult decision. We made the call to go with the Net 15 program. I can tell you this: from our standpoint and with our staff, the Net 15 payment plan was very easy for us to administrate. It was simple, it was current, it was accurate, and it made our lives easier by taking the guess work out of payment processing.

How long have you been using this payment method, and how has it helped improve your apps, downloads, and overall business?

Cloudburst has been working with Mobclix for a very happy six months. Up until the point when we started using the Net 15 payment plan we were paying all of our contractors independently. As Cloudburst began to really take off, it was difficult for us to handle incoming invoices and outbound monies efficiently. Enter Mobclix to save the day.

The Advanced Payments program has made us much more comfortable funding projects with relationship to development. We have some amazing plans in the works right now, including awesome new apps that we know the industry will embrace, and we couldn’t have done it without a better grip on our inbound and outbound finances.

What is the biggest improvement you’ve seen by choosing your Advanced Payments plan?

Overall, the Net 15 payments made processing cash in and cash out much more streamlined. As a business we are happier, contractors are happier, and everyone is getting paid on time. What this translates to, is our team having the opportunity to focus on our product, on being visionaries, and on growing our company, rather than worrying about finances.

The Advanced Payments program ultimately bought us the peace of mind and freedom to concentrate on creativity and fulfilling our business plan–and then some.

Any words of encouragement for publishers unsure of this new type of payment?

I would just like to re-emphasize that working with Mobclix has allowed Cloudburst Games to grow into the successful business we dreamed it could be back in 2010. Mobclix is very stable, safe, and efficient. Their ability to process payments into a business’s register is invaluable in so many ways, and I would recommend them to any company that is looking to increase cash flow and expand their business.

But who will be there to talk about how to drive app monetization to the next level, and what options there are to connect to ad networks? Or what about the growing trend between free vs. paid apps, along with tips to increase eCPMs & fill rates? More importantly, who will you be able to talk to about connecting the best ads with your app(s)? Mobclix, of course!

We’ll be having Mobclix’s BizDev Manager, Brandon Breon, roaming the floors of MWC all week long. Luckily, there are a number of ways to reach him to talk about your apps and/or ad networks–here’s how:

• Good ol’ e-mail: bbreon [at] velti [dot] com
• He’s on Twitter, of course. Tweet away @breon29!
• The crazy awesome Velti booth: App Planet Hall, Booth 7C58. You should stop by regardless, and check out what we’ll have in store for the mobile world
• The Velti GoMoNews Blender party: already 1,000+ sign-ups, so make sure to register!

To schedule meetings with us at the booth, visit http://mwc.velti.com.

If you’re a developer looking for the best way to monetize your apps, look no further than our Mobclix demo over at the Velti booth. Come chat with Brandon, and he can answer all your questions about making money through our ad exchange. See you in Barcelona!

But we want to get you guys pumped too. If you’re heading to Barcelona for MWC and think you’re all packed–we have something you might want to make sure you don’t forget: an iPad 2!

Specifically designed for your trip to Barcelona, the iPad 2 will come equipped with the Belkin Keyboard Folio Case to help your note-taking skills, and pre-loaded with apps to help you make the most out of your Barcelona experience.

The Prize:

An iPad 2 pre-loaded with the latest apps to complement your trip, along with a Belkin Keyboard Folio Case!

The Rules:

1. Visit the “Win With Us” tab on Velti’s MWC microsite: http://mwc.velti.com/win-with-us

2. Answer the simple question

3. Submit your e-mail address

4. Share the contest with your friends for more entries

5. Follow us on @VeltiMobile to find out if you won

6. Cross your fingers! Or toes. Or eyes.

Contest ends on February 17^th at 11:59 PST. We’ll announce the winner on February 20^th, giving you ample time to make sure your new iPad 2 is tucked away safely in your carry-on bag for Mobile World Congress 2012. Hope to see you there!

Official contest rules here.

Regardless, your mobile phone will be your best friend during the game, keeping you updated on the highest rated commercials, the Madonna halftime show coverage (hopefully, there will be coverage), and of course, the play-by-play. That’s why you’ll need the best apps for your Super Bowl Sunday, below (data from Mobclix), to avoid missing any moment of the big game.

NFL Mobile – Free

Catch the live stream of the game, for the first time, through the NFL Mobile app. Brought to you by Verizon Wireless, you’ll be able to get additional camera angles, in-game highlights, live stats and replays of the Super Bowl ads. Share news across social networks, post comments to Facebook and NFL.com, and even get SMS alerts. If you’re a Verizon customer, keep up with the game however you please, for FREE in the App Store or Android Market.

NFL Pro Tweets – Free

Wonder if other NFL players are watching the big game too? Of course they are. So join in on the locker room talk and keep track of what your favorite football players have to say through the NFL Pro Tweets app. Follow tweets from players and sports-media, as well as a live news feed of the NFLPlayers.com site. Get in the minds of the players for FREE in the App Store!

SB XLVI Guide – Free

Scored tickets to watch the Super Bowl in Indianapolis at the Lucas Oil Stadium? Lucky bum. The Super Bowl XLVI Guide app is a must, then, serving as your personal tour guide for information on the best restaurants and activities in town, as well as a 3-D map of Indianapolis, the stadium and a parking guide that will help navigate you through the area. Stuck at home on the couch? We feel you. But download this app, too, and you can follow social media buzz with the NFL huddle. Get access to all you need to know about Super Bowl XLVI for FREE in the App Store today.

Chevy Game Time – Free

Yes, this dedicated app is all part of General Motors’ Super Bowl ad campaign—and it’s amazing. The Chevy Game Time app offers tons of opportunities to engage during the game to win great prizes. As the commercials air, you can play trivia games, answer polls about the game, and interact with others through Twitter. With each point of interaction, you’ll be entered to win one of 20 cars! Other giveaway prizes include phones, tires, pizzas, music and NFLStore.com gift cards. Join in on the fun for FREE in the App Store or Android Market!

ESPN Radio – $2.99

No TV for the big game? No worries—the ESPN Radio app, connects you to live internet broadcasts of top radio shows, over 35 ESPN radio podcasts, OnDemand SportsCenter that is updated every 20 minutes, and live scores and news feeds of your favorite teams. Specific for Super Bowl Sunday, searchable audio lets you find mentions of your favorite players or teams so you can get the news you wan, as well as post-game analysis. Get the most out of your sports news updates for just $2.99 in the App Store and Android Market.

Shazam – Free

Wondering what Shazam is doing on the Super Bowl list? Many brands have tapped into the potential of this app and are offering sound recognition cues in their commercials, directing users to additional content and special deals. If you see the Shazam logo pop up in an ad, that’s your cue to aim your smartphone at your TV and see what content you get—ranging from recipes to free song downloads! Don’t miss out on all the interactions—get the app for FREE in the App Store or Android Market.

In the Kitchen – Food Network – $1.99

Every Super Bowl party needs to have food and Bud Light—so make sure your guests don’t go hungry! Check out these super-sized snack and appetizer ideas from the In the Kitchen app by Food Network. The app offers recipes specifically for the game (under “Big Game Bash”) featuring recipes from all your favorite Food Network chefs. Be crowned ‘The Ultimate Super Bowl Chef’ for only $1.99 in the App Store today!

AdBowl – Free

While the Giants and the Patriots are battling it out at Lucas Oil Stadium, some of the biggest brands are battling it out during commercial breaks. The annual AdBowl is upon us and viewers across the country will be casting their votes on the best advertisements this season. You can catch the performance of each commercial in real time and determine if the ad was a “touchdown” or a “fumble”. Results are announced just after midnight, so download the app for FREE in the App Store or Android Market and start voting for your favorite ads.

But when do you ever get a chance to pick the brain of a mobile marketing & advertising guru like him? Not too often–lucky for you, Krishna shared with Mobile Marketer™  and CMO.com just this week, his recommendations on tablet strategy and mobile offers, both predicted to be big in 2012. Highlights below!

5 Tips to Develop an Effective Tablet Strategy

With the release of the iPad 2 and Kindle Fire, it’s no doubt tablets are hot–and their sales records prove that they’re here to stay. Krishna highlights 5 ways to develop an effective tablet strategy; full article here.

 
What Drives Mobile Consumers–And Stops Them In Their Tracks

Mobile offers and promotions are key to driving brand engagement and mCommerce, but how exactly will consumers interact with what you have to offer? You have to make content engaging so consumers respond favorably. Krishna covers factors to consider for increased success of your mobile campaign; full article here.
 

Got any other questions for him or us? Submit below, Facebook-style.