Times Mobile Limited has partnered with Techfront, an mVAS provider, to launch a mobile app Follow On to provide users with additional content on their mobile during a live match on May 21 and 22, 2013 at Kotla. The application is available for download on Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone.
Features: We tried the app on our Android phone and the app provides content such as team stats, individual player stats, teams head to head stats, points table stats, live score, video highlights, weather information, augmented reality feature and the ability to upload photos taken at the stadium. The photos taken at the event through the app can be shared at www.followon.in, however, the site notes that the photos will be uploaded after the event day. The video section offers clips like match highlights, fours and sixes, and wicket dismissals among others. The app also provides navigation to the stadium stands, allowing users to reach the stadium stand from their location with the help of Google Maps. As for the AR function, one can scan the Pepsi logo present at the stadium to get some prizes.
The app notes that it displays live information during the games only if one uses the Follow On WiFi network at the venue. The WiFi provided at the stadium will be apparently free to use. It’s not clear if the user can make use of this WiFi connection to browse other apps at the stadium. One annoying bit about the app was that, it asked me to participate in a poll which seems impossible to bypass.
Our view
It’s not clear why Times Mobile launched this initiative for only for two days, since they could have continued this through out the remaining IPL matches for this season. Besides this, it appears that the app is a good way to interact with users online for an offline event. The app provides users with information that might interest them – as sometimes at the stadium, no one really understands what’s happening. As for the brands, it gives a chance for them to interact with the user, collect data, and analyse it later. What’s particularly interesting is that while traditional advertising didn’t allow brands to realize their ROI, new mobile technology based engagement tools achieves two things – advertise and get engagement and thus ROI.
