I receive a lot of promo emails every day about iOS apps. New apps, updated apps, good apps, bad apps, bizarre apps and all sorts of approaches. Some are interesting and worth looking into, some are not of course. Today I got an approach that I think is just all wrong, one that lead to […]
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Crappy Ways to Promote an App – Bait & Switch

Dec 26th 2011 by

KickOff

I receive a lot of promo emails every day about iOS apps. New apps, updated apps, good apps, bad apps, bizarre apps and all sorts of approaches. Some are interesting and worth looking into, some are not of course.

Today I got an approach that I think is just all wrong, one that lead to wasted time because it was a sort of a fake, bait and switch type approach. The promo email I received had no real text – just an image promoting an app called Kick-Off, which is described like so:

Kick-Off is the interactive e-book that chronicles the fascinating history of the beautiful game. Packed full of incredible vintage videos and rare photos, Kick-Off brings the history of football (soccer) to life at the touch of a screen! Also stand the chance of winning a signed Gordon Banks print of the “World’s Best Save”.

That app would be interesting to me – as I’m a huge football (blah, soccer if you must) fan.

Only one problem here – when I follow the App Store link that’s not the app I’m presented with. Not by a long stretch.

This is the app I am linked to in the App Store:

MAGapp

It’s called MAGapp, which is 100% NOT Kick-Off – and is described like this:

MAGapp is an interactive magazine reader that incorporates video, social networking and other interactive features, and has been developed for the iPad. MAGapp takes mobile reading to the next level giving you so much more than the digitised version of an existing print magazine: you can now experience content as opposed to just reading it.

And Kick-Off is one of the titles within MAGapp. The thing is I’m not after an interactive magazine reader for the iPad. I was after a good app focused on football and its history – but not at all looking for what MAGapp is. Especially once I took a look at the small range of content in it. It’s the goofiest, least attractive content mix I’ve seen for any app of its type.

Here’s what it features, along with Kick-Off:

Pulse – Issue 5
The Middle East’s leading custom cardiology magazine, in collaboration with Merck Serono, has come to MAGapp, and features exclusive interviews with top cardiology Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), insightful case studies and interesting feature articles.

Dubai Guide 2012
Coming to an iPad near you in early 2012.

Social Media 101
A beginner’s guide to using social media, focusing on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Skype and YouTube. Selling for just $0.99.

Seriously??? Am I meant to be smoking something when I look at this? I’m drawn in by what looks like a standalone app about football, and now I’m meant to be interested in the leading cardiology magazine in the Middle East?  How does the 7 degrees of Kevin Bacon connection work for those two. Football fan … fascinated by current cardiology trends in the Middle East. Oh, and Social Media 101 – yeah, that goes great with my football fandom as well.

MAGapp’s content would not appeal to me at the best of times (to put it mildly) – but sending a promo email that is flat-out misleading is just dumb as far as I’m concerned. It basically makes the approach email pure spam.

Another fine example of how not to promote an app.

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