According to an independent study, apps will be worth $17.5bn in 2012, compared to only $13.83bn in CD sales. But what does this mean market saturation or an increasing appetite for ever more varied apps? And where does pharma sit in this rapidly moving technology?
The first point to make is that quality needs to rule over quantity. In other words, there are already millions (if not billions) of badly designed, infrequently used apps out there. Our impatient click-through culture means high numbers of people may download free apps, but how many will genuinely engage with them? While developing an app might be an exciting opportunity for pharma, it has to do something completely unique or do something way better than what is currently out there already. Say that a pioneering pharma company wants to develop an app as part of a patient-support programme, it is more likely to succeed if it serves a highly specific function to complement the programme, rather than become the programme itself… Simplicity is key. Need some evidence? Take a look at the most successful healthcare apps out there – just search in the iTunes store for ‘NHS Drinks Tracker’, ‘Calorie Counter PRO’, ‘iHeartbeat monitor’, or ‘Bedometer’ (if you’re feeling frisky!)
The internet already provides a wealth of information and to be successful in any digital project – let alone apps – the tactic must be genuinely different and have practical value (content alone is no longer king!) It sounds obvious but with such a crowded marketplace for apps, knowing what is out there will be crucial for the success of any such project. Having said that, there are billions of apps yet to be made, plenty of opportunities, and as yet relatively no competition when it comes to pharma-generated apps.
Tags: apps, digital pharma, dose of digital, pharma online, Seth Godin