petcentric places ranked #4 by Forbes.com for 2009

2009 Superlatives

Killer Apps: Best Branded Mobile Applications

Laurie Burkitt, 11.23.09, 6:00 PM ET

No. 4. Nestle

Purina Petcentric

Launched: Aug. 2009

Downloads: Undisclosed

Pet lovers can find pet-friendly dog parks and hotels across the nation, as well as nearby veterinarians, animal shelters, pet sitters, groomers and doggie treat shops.

Danika Landers, a 29-year-old Web designer, walked into a public bathroom last year and was so disgusted by the gnarly conditions that she decided to create a Web site fully dedicated to helping people find clean bathrooms: SitOrSquat.

SitOrSquat, which features user-generated recommendations of the nation's best public restrooms, was such a hit that Procter & Gamble, maker of Charmin, signed the toilet paper brand as a sponsor. It then rolled out a new SitOrSquat mobile application this year. With 400,000 downloads, the free app has become one of the most talked about among consumers and companies and is one of Forbes CMO Network's top 10 branded mobile applications of 2009.

What makes a brand successful on a handset? We turned to five marketing experts (see below) for their advice, and they all agreed on one thing: Utility. "Gimmicks are fun, but brands ultimately need to create something people can use," says Brandon Evans, managing partner and chief strategy officer of social media agency Mr. Youth.

Two other attributes that can make or break a brand's mobile app effort: audience and speed. The same rules that apply to great marketing apply to the mobile sphere, says Patrick Collins, president of New York mobile marketing agency 5th Finger. Companies should cater to their core fans, making the interface as streamlined as possible for users who are on the go, working on limited time and in limited space, he says.

Apps must be self-serving for brands, says David Berkowitz, director of emerging media and client strategy at digital marketing shop 360i. To create an application that doesn't lead back to a corporate site or give users information on where they can find the company's products is useless.

12.02.2009