US telecommunications giant Verizon is offering companies the chance to have their apps installed on customer smartphones, AdAge reports.
The initiative allows brands to potentially deliver millions of downloads at a cost of US$1 to US$2 per device affected. By way of comparison, AdAge reports that app installation campaigns on Facebook and Google cost about US$5 per download.
Verizon has been sounding out brands about the app install offer since late last year with retail and finance companies at the head of the telcos hit list.
It is unclear how successful the campaign has been.
Verizon has 75 million smartphone post-paid customers and adds about 10 million new phones each quarter.
The initiative could only work on Android phones, which are far more customisable than iPhones.
But could such an idea work in reality? Bloatware, when smartphone companies place too many of their own apps on devices, has known to be an irritant to consumers.
Samsung and Vodafone have also offered branded apps in the past. If you have any thoughts, please email: arvindhickman@yaffa.com.au
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