Oprah is now officially mobile. The release of her mobile apps
today span the gamut of major platforms - including titles for the
iPhone, BlackBerry, Palm and Android. It’s a hefty and widespread
release, with ambitions of reaching every consumer on every smart phone.
Given Oprah’s latest moves towards extending her brand with an evening
show, the empire that already covers print, film, television and social
media can claim the mobile industry as well.
With a first
look at the $1.99 Oprah Mobile app for the iPhone and Android
devices, I admit I was surprised to find the app’s icon does not
feature Oprah’s image—simply her name. With Oprah celebrating her 100th magazine
cover, I imagined that the mobile apps would be more distinctly
branded.
Upon opening the app, you’ll also be prompted to take the No Phone Zone pledge. The pledge itself, which encourages you to avoid cell phone use while driving, is decidedly Oprah. I doubt most users willing to pay for the app will be wary of providing their contact information as part of their pledge. For Android users, however, skipping the pledge process may interfere with opening the app.
Once you’re in the app, it’s easy enough to access a good portion of the mogul’s content, but it’s a lot of the same content you can already find for free on the website. Focusing on lifestyle articles, Oprah Mobile gives you tips for health, spirituality, sexuality and even home décor. You can set alerts for new content, see the most popular, listen to Oprah radio, and partake in polls. Your settings options are limited for iPhone and Android users, focusing primarily on your alerts options.
Oprah
exclusives, including show clips, photos and video contentare all
available from the menu options on both the iPhone and the Android
versions, though this menu is more readily accessible on the iPhone.
Content can be shared with friends, with Android users getting the perk
of accessing other apps from the Share menu in order to do so. This is
especially helpful, as Oprah Mobile is lacking a dedicated social
sharing feature.
While Oprah Mobile seems to be missing some major components of social media, namely access to Oprah’s website and highly popular Twitter profile, I expect the loose ends of the app to be tied up before too long. Oprah’s brand can live on long past her television programs, with the footholds creating traction with the ability to aggregate and personally recommend and deliver content through mobile devices.
First look: pricy for the content
With a first
look at the $1.99 Oprah Mobile app for the iPhone and Android
devices, I admit I was surprised to find the app’s icon does not
feature Oprah’s image—simply her name. With Oprah celebrating her 100th magazine
cover, I imagined that the mobile apps would be more distinctly
branded.Upon opening the app, you’ll also be prompted to take the No Phone Zone pledge. The pledge itself, which encourages you to avoid cell phone use while driving, is decidedly Oprah. I doubt most users willing to pay for the app will be wary of providing their contact information as part of their pledge. For Android users, however, skipping the pledge process may interfere with opening the app.
Once you’re in the app, it’s easy enough to access a good portion of the mogul’s content, but it’s a lot of the same content you can already find for free on the website. Focusing on lifestyle articles, Oprah Mobile gives you tips for health, spirituality, sexuality and even home décor. You can set alerts for new content, see the most popular, listen to Oprah radio, and partake in polls. Your settings options are limited for iPhone and Android users, focusing primarily on your alerts options.
Oprah
exclusives, including show clips, photos and video contentare all
available from the menu options on both the iPhone and the Android
versions, though this menu is more readily accessible on the iPhone.
Content can be shared with friends, with Android users getting the perk
of accessing other apps from the Share menu in order to do so. This is
especially helpful, as Oprah Mobile is lacking a dedicated social
sharing feature.Future expectations: social media integration
While the price of Oprah Mobile ($2.99 for BlackBerry users) may seem unnecessary given the content’s free access on her website, it’s important to consider the long-term potential of the brand. With mobile access comes more personalized content delivery, interactions and recommendations. Location, which is currently used solely to find TV program scheduling, can be far more integrated with the content and its socially-driven interactions.While Oprah Mobile seems to be missing some major components of social media, namely access to Oprah’s website and highly popular Twitter profile, I expect the loose ends of the app to be tied up before too long. Oprah’s brand can live on long past her television programs, with the footholds creating traction with the ability to aggregate and personally recommend and deliver content through mobile devices.