The Obama campaign launched an Obama ‘08 iPhone application that is compelling, easy to use, and effective in strengthening his “brand.”  See the following link for Gizmodo’s take.  Having downloaded and played with the application, it is clear that a great deal of thought and planning went into the application’s development.  From features such as the ability to call friends based on battleground states (and keeping track of whether you had in fact called them or not), to the use of LBS features to pinpoint the local Obama HQ near you and provide information on upcoming events, and to have quick access to Obama’s stands on key issues, this application is very much a “must have” for the iPhone wielding Obama supporter.

What I believe is more exciting is that this application gives us a glimpse into things to come.  Imagine a brand-centric application, be it for a luxury brand like Louis Vuitton or a more mainstream brand like Adidas, where avid brand followers can be alerted to the presence of like-minded people in their vicinity, receive members-only invitations to special events happening nearby, and get advance notice on upcoming products.  Add to this the intimacy that is inherent with a person’s relationship with their mobile phone, and what you nurture and foster for the consumer is very strong attachment and affinity to your brand.  THIS is how brand loyalists of the future will be found as people equipped with these applications on their mobile devices become your brand ambassadors and advertise on your behalf.  Microsites may come and go, but a downloaded application could potentially live forever on a user’s mobile device.

For these applications to succeed, the time and resource investment should be treated with equal importance to a full martketing/messaging campaign.  If you try to cut corners on the investment, time, and resources required to execute successfully, the end result could be a decrease in brand affinity and ultimately, brand abandonment.  For every great Obama ‘08 application, there are many examples of “frustrationware.”  A perfect example of what NOT to emulate is Audi’s A4 driving challenge, which was created to help promote the launch of the redesigned Audi A4.  However, the application was so poorly executed and thoroughly lackluster that the vast majority of reviews on both iTunes and in the blogosphere (such as this link to Autoblog.com) have panned it as not even being worth the time to download it.

As brands continue to investigate pursuing applications as ways to enhance their brand image, they must be willing to make serious investments to be successful.  Hopefully, the Obama ‘08 application is a beacon that will usher in the “change we need” for brand-related applications.