Marta Kagan recently put online a useful presentation on branded applications for the iPhone, considered as the next generation of immersive mobile branding. Her slideshow gives me the opportunity to spend a couple of words on the huge contradictions I see on App Store if you take the digital marketer point of view.

We are talking so much about the digital world, where everything and everybody is connected, where you can discover and get to know great ideas and great people from all around the world, global meets local etc, etc, etc... But, but, but the Apple App Store is far from being a global store. If you are based in Italy for example, very often you can't buy nor even download for the applications developed in the US, and viceversa.

Pointed out that .... I got the trick you are looking for (but it's better to talk about this in mail :) ) I can't see the contradictions you are talking about.

Considering that everything we deal with in the digital environment can be defined as a platform, then we have to understand if we are looking at a CLOSED or OPEN platform and then evaluate pros and cons.

Being an open platform allows you to use the power of network collaborations and so on (ie the open source software), while you might prefer a closed platform if you are looking for a more stable and reliable experience (the apple platform with itunes/iphone/etc).

I don't believe that one size fits all in this case .. it just depends on what you are looking for :)

Posted by: Giuseppe Mayer at February 16, 2009 02:07 PM

Hello Martina,
You damn right,
it's funny I just faced the same situation today, while wanting to download the Kraft one ! ...
and just came up to the same conclusion, or should I say question.

Posted by: Laurent at February 16, 2009 03:17 PM

Luckily one can download the Italian "Nike Goal" !
;-)

Posted by: Laurent at February 16, 2009 03:20 PM

I can see that this only encourages more torrents and P2P

Posted by: CC at February 17, 2009 05:22 AM