MS-Digital Innovation in Marketing

Hey Arpana! This was such a comprehensive and interesting post. I completely agree that your organization doesn’t seem to need an app right now. I can’t think of a business or company I know well that doesn’t have an app off the top of my head. However, my current company does not have one and I think it’s the right choice. I work for a very small HR-based media company, so developing an app would require either new hires or outsourcing, just to start the process. We put out a lot of content, but it is all email or web-optimized, so there’s no real reason for us to have an app. Similar to your experience, my company’s demographic doesn’t quite fit: it’s mostly HR or company leaders that consume the content during work, not during their free time. Our website and magazine were recently mobile-optimized and email marketing can be consumed on their respective apps. An app for our business would further blur the line between work and personal life balance, I think. Great post!

Thanks for this post, Arpana — there is a temptation, I think, for every company to think they need an app — Even in the non-profit theater world, a few years ago, a conglomerate of Philadelphia theaters got together to create an app that they thought would drive revenue. After some significant expense, the result was low adoption. No one needed to app to purchase tickets or learn about shows, so the software was soon put to rest. As we’ve discussed in class, (and was captured in our reading) it’s essential to know the goal of tech adoption and that it will solve a problem and create enough impact for people to actually want to use it. Just you wait — soon every company will “NEED” augmented reality for something

I for one have a love/hate relationship with Uber. I prefer to use the ridesharing app way more than others, but I hate how shady it is so this is no surprise that they have eradicated their points system. I was not aware of this transition, nor did I even know how many points I racked up. Ultimately, I believe this was a good decision for Uber because I’m sure there was nothing to gain by giving customers points to use in leu of monetary transactions. However, it seems as if it has already angered their consumer base, something that might make some chose lyft the next time they need a ride. I for one swear by Philadelphia’s public transit system and would rather walk then pay 20 dollars for an 8 minute ride!

Hi Samara,

Thank you for sharing this because I didn’t even notice that I no longer have Uber rewards on my Uber account. Once I read this post, I went straight to my phone and checked on it and noticed that the rewards tab is now gone. I have the Uber one program, but I always ignored it. I had over 30,000 points so I am kind of upset about this! If I knew it was going away, I would of used those points! I am in a similar living situation as you. I use uber anywhere between 5-10 times a week. I am sure many other customers that are city living are also outraged by this news! Uber one seems like Uber’s way to still get us to get discounts (even though its $10 a month, so it is really discounted?”. I am interested to see how they will handle this backlash. I can see this decision hurting them in the future. Many people, myself included, used those rewards to cheapen our rides. Now if I want a discount, I have to pay $10 a month? That is a no from this customer.

I haven’t lived in the city since college, so I haven’t used Uber as frequently as I used to, so I wasn’t aware at all of this switch. I don’t like the subscription roads that so many companies and apps are taking. It actually makes me not want to use the app at all and just switch to Lyft. I was not aware of the shift, but I’m sure Uber handled the change well, but I just don’t think that people are taking the news well, and neither am I. I definitely think that the social media backlash is going to create some issues for Uber because when I am looking something up about a company I tend to turn to social media to learn about them, so I’m assuming that others do the same too. I think this subscription addition will ultimately hurt Uber, and drive users to other apps instead of Uber.

Interesting read, Samara! While not an avid UBER ride, I wasn’t aware of this (and, admittedly, have no clue how many points I have!). From your perspective, I would be frustrated. Instead of wiping those points, I think they should have at least allowed you to use what you’ve banked first. I’m also not fond of the paying for points model. Previously, you had an incentive to use UBER over other ride sharing app (you pay for your ride or order delivery through UBER Eats and, in turn, you earn points). Having to pay for this subscription on top of the transaction doesn’t appear fruitful for the customer.

Hey Samara, Great read.
I use uber a lot when I go on business trips but I was not aware of this change. I can imagine many users are upset and angry that they made changes. They handles their shift in business model poorly as they should had notified their consumers better. I do not think this change will affect them financial as I can assume they own the majority of market share but it is a bad example for smaller companies to follow.

Hi Samara, I hadn’t heard that they were getting rid of their rewards program either. I wouldn’t be surprised if they purposely didn’t market this as well as they could. Definitely would have been a down quarter had everyone used all their rewards.

Hi Janice,

I agree that I sometimes feel overwhelmed with the number of apps I have on my phone. However, I would happily download my local pharmacy app. From Rite Aid’s perspective, it sounds like a great call to action to offer limited vouchers using a mobile number and gently push the user to download the app to avail following coupon, and voila it worked in your use case.
Walgreens is my pharmacy/convenience store, and I remember never being able to use their print coupon for little reasons like accidentally leaving the coupon in the car or other handbag; however, their digital coupons are designed much more relaxed, and I finally can use them, and save some money.
I believe apps are not helpful in many cases but are a great option if the user at least visits the store/e-shop once a month.
For me RiteAid or Walgreens app is a yes!

Hi Janice,

I completely know the feeling. I was at Whole Foods yesterday scrambling to pull up my Amazon discount code and panicked in the self checkout line that I needed to download the separate Whole Foods app. This is a very interesting topic, as we all have so many apps on our phones and are constantly downloading more. I remember when I got my first iPhone and it barely had any storage. Now, I find myself buying the iPhone with the most storage to avoid having to pay the monthly iCloud fee to store all of my photos and videos (which is a whole other issue how many photos I currently have stored on my phone….). Apps used to be a way for us to download content that we love, and now they’ve just become a necessity for basic purchases and discounts. I remember getting the Bed Bath & Beyond coupons in the mail and bringing them into the store. I also used to type in my phone number at Rite Aid to get a special discount. Unfortunately though, I think we have to accept that this is now the norm and in order to reap the benefits we used to get more easily, apps on apps on apps is just a part of life. I guess a virtual discount is better than nothing, right? In the meantime, I’m due for an iPhone upgrade and will certainly need the one with the most storage.

Hi Janice,

To answer your question, I do not feel overwhelmed with apps. I am the type of person who likes to find the more quickest and most convenient way to do things. Having multiple apps on my phone where I can oder stuff and just go to the store and curbside pickup is my favorite thing to do. I think this should of started years ago.

We as humans now have an overwhelmingly amount of applications o our phones. Most of which probably are downloaded once and never used again. I for one know I have a myriad of applications on my phone that I don’t even, and have never used. The thought of having to download another app sickens me, but I think I may be a little stubborn on this at times. I was incredibly reluctant to use apple pay on my iPhone but was forced to after losing my wallet at a club. However, after the first day I was hooked on it and actually prefer not having to bring my wallet with me where I go. Ultimately, I believe I just needed the push to do so, and only then can I understand the real benefits of doin so. One could think that no more do they need paper receipts, or coupons, or anything one would need for a rite aid. While the application might be bothersome in the moment, I often find that some do more good than bad on my pohone!

Admittedly, I am overwhelmed by apps! To Henry’s point, I typically download to receive some type of discount / incentive, and then never use again. The only apps that I truly enjoying using are airline apps for travel. I’m a less is more person when it comes to traveling and I enjoy having everything at my fingertips with the click of a button, especially if it could potentially result in avoiding lines. While it appears like a minor inconvenience, I would be frustrated by this change because companies should be making these processes more seamless, accessible and convenient for their customers.

Hey Janice!
I totally understand how you’re feeling – I only want to download apps I want, not apps that I’m forced to use to reap benefits I already had. I would be so annoyed if I needed to download a grocery store app to unlock member-only prices. Ever since Apple started kind of “undownloading” apps on your behalf, I stopped being overwhelmed by the number of apps I have/use. I have a handful of apps I use often enough, and it’s not too bad waiting for other apps to re-download if I haven’t used it in a while. Overall, companies are always looking to expand technologically, and while it is important to do so, I think there always needs to be an alternative available for those who don’t have the technology, don’t want to use it, or can’t use it. I don’t have the Rite-aid app, but for example, how accessible is it? Sometimes companies lose focus on these facets of mobile integration, so its best to keep the original way too just as an alternative. Great post!

Hey Janice, Great reads,
I feel your same pain. downloading an app can just be a hassle that you just don’t feel like doing; especially for the simplest stuff like the example you explained. I have so many apps on my phone currently as I probably only use about 7-10 of them on a daily basis. I will only download an app in the moment if it brings value to me.

Hi Janice,

Just as alot of there comments, I, admittedly, download apps to receive some type of discount / incentive, and then never use them again. I will say though, the companies that I have found I used their apps have the best rewards program. I could careless about their user interface as long as they are working and I can get my free food.