Product ManagementIn mobile

By Martin SpicerProgramme Manager, CEMAS

t: 01443 65 4265 e: cemas@southwales.ac.ukwww.cemas.mobi

@cemas_usw

Synergy is the interaction of multiple elements in a system to produce an effect different from or greater than the sum of their individual effects. 

The term synergy comes from the Greek word synergia συνέργια from synergos, συνεργός, meaning "working together".

Synergy – The early days

1957

Today’s Talk

The app is not the product

• Case Study – Twitter / Angry Birds

The Customer

• Case Study – Cauldron Caters

Roadmapping

• Case Study - Comixology

Your app is the not THE product

Mobile is one (successful) channel

Other channels3rd partyWeb (desktop)Smart TVAnd more

http://allthingsd.com/20120711/twitters-pitch-deck-for-big-advertisers-slides/

Angry Birds – December 2009

Angry Birds – March 2014

“With all our games, we’re going for all the screens: Smartphones, tablets, TVs, the web, so we really want to bring Space to all the screens as well. As always, we have limited resources, so we can only do iOS, Android, PC and Mac for the launch, but the other platforms will follow shortly after.”

Peter Vesterbacka – Mighty Eagle Angry Birds

The Customer

Case Study – Cauldron Caters

Case Study – Cauldron Caters – The business

Case Study – Cauldron Caters – the Question

How can children and families eat more healthy?

(And therefore buy more fruit and veg)

Case Study – Cauldron Caters – the Product

“Synergy in action”

Case Study – Cauldron Caters – the App 

Roadmapping

What’s the Plan?

What is a Product Roadmap?

“A high level vision of the future evolution of the product”

Include:

• Functionality• Effort Required (staff pipeline)• Release Dates• Market

http://www.slideshare.net/intechnica/product-roadmaps

Case Study – Comixology Acquisition by Amazon and its affect on theProduct Road Map

Amazon Acquisition

“We’ve long admired the passion comiXology brings to changing the way we buy and read comics and graphic novels.

We look forward to investing in the business, growing the team, and together, bringing comics and graphic novels to even more readers.”

David Naggar – Amazon Vice President of Content AcquisitionApril 11th 2014

“Amazon is the biggest seller of books, so this acquisition makes a lot of sense. Given that Comics is one of the most profitable apps on the App Store, I don’t expect much to change for iOS users thanks to this acquisition, at least in the short term”

‘App Commentators’

http://appadvice.com/appnn/2014/04/what-will-happen-to-the-comics-app-now-that-amazon-is-buying-comixology

2 weeks later

“Amazon Avoids Apple’s Fees With Reworked ComiXology App”CNETWall St Cheat SheetComputer Magazine..and many others

Pros and Cons

Cons

• Risk of losing customers, due to inconvenience of ‘in app purchase’

• Call to action of a purchase has many more steps (buy from web, then synch device)

• Big impact on iPad users, but minimal for Google (Android) users

Pros

• Comixology was the highest grossing non game iPad app in 2012 and 2013 – massive user base

• Immediate removal of a total 30% cost

• Ability to either increase profits or pass savings onto customer (though Comixology has traditionally not competed on price for new releases with the traditional comic book store)

In hindsight – Not a surpise

This is the Kindle Model

Questions?