Exhibition floor at App Day Köln

This week our CEO, Peter Glaeser, and I visited Köln (Cologne) to attend the third annual App Day. The event is meant to be a place for app developers and marketers to connect, and this was our first time attending. While we usually have several good things to say about the events we attend, this one was a disappointment for us. And considering that we woke up earlier than should be legal to take a five-hour train ride to Cologne for the event, it was a big disappointment.

So just what was wrong with App Day? For starters, it was small. Very small. Their website claimed that 350 participants had registered to attend the event, but from what we could tell there were no more than 100 people there at any given time. To be fair, small events don’t have to be bad. For example, Buzzness Mobile in Paris was on the small side of events compared to others we attend, but it was still a productive event for us. But we felt that saying that 350 were expected and having significantly few attendees is disappointing.

The event was also poorly organized. There was no coat check, so we were forced to carry our bags with us, which made networking with the few people who were there difficult. There was also only a handful of exhibitors, and of those who were present, one was really engaging. We held out hope for a couple of the speaking sessions, but unfortunately the one we most wanted to attend was completely full, with no seats or standing room (and although there was a nearly empty room nearby which was also part of the event, somehow changing rooms to accommodate more listeners was not considered).

Needless to say, we did not spend much time at the event. After making a couple of new contacts and catching up with the few people we knew at App Day, we ended up idling away the afternoon more or less with coffee, shopping, and a climb up the Cologne Cathedral until it was time for our train back to Berlin. Not a horrible day, but certainly not one of the most productive for our business!

According to Mobile Commerce Daily, almost half of mobile users make at least one purchase a month via their mobile devices. Among those who do the shopping on their mobile phones, according to the study cited, nearly 20% make between two and five purchases a month. Of the remaining mobile shoppers, 16% shop with their mobile device over ten times a month, while 8% will make a purchase with their mobile between six and ten times a month.

So what do these numbers tell us? Well, for starters this is proof that making purchases via mobile devices is actually happening now. There is no longer the speculation whether or not users will one day make purchases via their mobile phone … And as mobile usage grows, so too will the amount of shopping being done across the mobile channel. Furthermore, these findings are proof that regardless of how long it takes until mobile payment services are perfected, people will shop vial their mobile phones  in the meantime.

To find out a little more about what people are buying with their mobiles, check out our earlier post on mobile shopping.

This week we will be in Seattle, Washington, for the Casual Gaming Conference. Sponsormob’s US Business Development Manager, Joe Niederberger, will be attending the Casual Connect event to meet with gaming developers and others in the ever-expanding gaming industry. The event takes place from July 19-21 and is hosted in the heart of Seattle close to the famous Pike Place Market. Produced by the Casual Games Association, it is the premier event of the casual gaming industry, with an attendance of over 3,500 gaming professionals each year. The event is a summit, conference, and networking event (with several parties included) all rolled into one, and we are happy to get to be a part of it!

We are hiring again!

Now we are looking for a freelance graphic designer to enhance Sponsormob and our advertising clients’ marketing objectives and goals for design of landing pages, mobile websites and mobile applications.

The Role:

You will be able to demonstrate an enthusiastic, team-oriented work ethic with the flexibility and willingness to take on any task.​ You should display a forward-thinking, positive outlook and offer strategic creative solutions.​ You need to have exceptional multi-tasking skills, high attention to detail, and ability to take ownership of projects from start to finish.

Based in Berlin, this is an exciting position for a candidate with digital design experience to work on a freelance basis.

Key Skills:

• excellent design skills and experience across advertising campaigns, websites, web applications, banners and landing pages
• acute observation and an expert eye for detail
• high levels of information technology skills in relevant software including Adobe PhotoShop and Illustrator
• excellent knowledge of HTML and CSS
• knowledge and experience in JavaScript and/or PHP desirable
• thorough understanding of online design technologies
• flair for design

Creativity and Productivity:

• producing high standards of work which meets or exceeds brief expectations within deadlines of projects.
• working with account managers and technical team on creative projects, from concept to finished piece
• liaising with internal digital technical teams to ensure brief is met and projects managed and on-time
• proactively supporting and offering assistance where required

If you meet the criteria and are looking for rewarding projects and adequate compensation in a fast-growing company, please contact us at jobs@sponsormob.com and be sure to send us samples of your previous work.

Our account manager, Rose Silford, attended the recent Online Marketing Show in London. According to Rose, the event was great and very productive. The exhibition floor was full visitors, with several hundred exhibition stands constantly filled with people.This year there was a 29% increase in attendance, so the event was most definitely worth attending.

Rose had several meetings  at the event and was able to connect with new companies who were there. She also enjoyed being back home in the UK for a short bit and was excited for the chance to enjoy some delicious Indian curry, the kind you can (according to her) only get in England! We here at Sponsormob are looking forward to attending the Online Marketing Show again next year!

Mobile internet agency M47 Interactive has now made its free Flirtalike app available to the European market. The app, which was launched in the US in 2010 Sponsormob, is now accessible to German customers in the App Store. The app is available for iOS devices, including the iPhone, iPod Touch, and the iPod.

Georg Gajewski, managing director at M47 Interactive, says, “In Germany we are seeing rapid changes in the habits of dating and flirt site users. Up to now, traditional online dating and flirt portals have been overlooking the opportunities in mobile, so we are happy to fill that gap.”

Flirtalike is the first free flirt community app developed exclusively for the mobile internet. It gives users the opportunity to connect and flirt via their mobile devices simply for fun. Future plans for the Flirtalike app include launches in other European nations.

Sponsormob is the exclusive promoter of Flirtalike and looks forward to offering the iPad app to the German market. Regarding partnership with Sponsormob, Gajewski says “We are excited about the expansion of Flirtalike throughout Europe and for continued cooperation with Sponsormob. We are hoping to see a repeat of the success with Flirtalike in the USA through our partnership.”



Sponsormob has been on the road a lot lately, participating in events in Paris, London, and Barcelona. The travel will continue this summer with App Day in Köln (Cologne), Germany, the end of this month. The event takes place on July 26 and is an event that brings together app developers and marketers. There were over 350 registered participants at the last App Day in Frankfurt, and this event is expected to be a success as well.

Our CEO, Peter Glaeser, and Public Relations Manager, Talya Shoup Burnett, will be attending the event for the day. For anyone interested in attending App Day, registration is free and can be done on the event’s registration page. And as always with Sponsormob events, if you are attending and would like to meet with us, please contact me to arrange a meeting (talya@sponsormob.com). We would love to hear from you!