Compared to the toys available today, the ones I had when I was little seem so low-tech. I had a lawn mower that made bubbles as I pushed it. I had one of those toy cars that moved when I pedaled. I lost numerous bouncy balls in the bush by our back deck. I even had a toy clock that looked like an owl (with eyes that blinked andeverything) I also walked around the house dragging my Chatter Telephone behind me. Nineties-kids, you know what I'm talking about. Remember that colorful telephone with eyes, wheels and a rotary dial? Yes, that was the height of cool for a two-year old.
What do today's two-year olds play with? Well, they still play with the Chatter Telephone, but the concept is slightly different. Chatter Telephone has gone digital.
You're probably thinking, "Does it now look like an iPhone?" Well, you're getting kind of close.
History of Phone Apps
Cell phone applications, or "apps," were created to make cell phones more like computers. Many of cell phone's earliest apps wouldn't be considered apps today. Programs that allow Internet surfing, checking e-mail and mp3 downloads are apps as well, but now they're considered standard cell phone (or at least smart phone) features.
Now you can find apps to do pretty much anything. Like games? Forget Sudoku. Play
Skee-Ball instead. Wish that magical creatures existed?
Fairy Trails makes finding and capturing a fairy possible. Love
Glee?
Smule released a new app today that allows "gleeks" to sing, record and post their favorite tunes from the TV show. The exact number of apps available on iTunes is unknown, but it's somewhere in the six-digit range.
It sounds so good to be true, but there are some downsides. Special apps are generally phone-specific. Blackberry, iPhone, Android, etc. all have apps designed only for those phones, and the apps don't always cross over. iPhones and iPod touches are different enough that not all apps are compatible to both. Also, not all apps are free. Prices can range from 99 cents to several dollars. It's a small price to pay, but buying a lot of apps can definitely add up.
Marketing via Phone Apps
Many apps are designed by game houses and independent designers simply for the user's entertainment and the maker's profit. However, many apps are actually marketing tools for companies and brands. Here's a list of "app-vertising" by major names:
- MasterCard: ATM Hunter, allows the user to find the closest ATMs
- Charmin (sponsor): Sit or Squat, allows the user to find the nearest bathroom
- Gap: Style Mixer, designs outfits using the Gap clothing line
- House: InHouse, provides content to get a closer look at the TV show
The Fisher Price Apps
The Chatter Telephone app teaches kids numbers and plays music. The See 'n Say app has an animal theme and includes fun facts and videos about each animal pictured. The Little People Farm allows kids to explore the farmyard and play matching games using the barnyard animals.
These iPhone apps target two- to five-year olds, but toddlers don't have iPhones (at least, I hope not!). I would say that the toddlers are secondary targets. The primary target audience members for these apps are iPhone-equipped parents of toddlers. I say iPhone-equipped, because I highly doubt any parent would go out and buy an iPhone simply because of the Fisher Price apps.
Although these apps seem very basic and not very exciting to a 21-year old such as myself, I could definitely see them being useful as distractions. Say a mother is grocery shopping with her toddler and there's no kids' area. She can simply hand him her iPhone and voila! Her toddler will be able to enjoy his favorite toys in the grocery store without the nuisance of carrying around the actual items.
The app is also a great way to promote the Fisher Price brand name and perhaps encourage parents to purchase the actual toys if they haven't already done so. Although this is a new venture for the company, they seem to be doing well. Fisher Price is promoting the apps on the home page of the iTunes App Store, and the apps are generally receiving very good reviews. The only complaint is that the iPhone in general is too complicated for a toddler to use. It'll be interesting to see if the apps become popular or if other toy companies will also release similar games.
In new unrelated to mobile media but related to Chatter Telephone, check out the toy in the upcoming Toy Story 3 movie in theaters on June 18th!
