Can Mitt Romney's new iOS and Android app help him close the
“smartphone gap”? The Romney campaign Tuesday unveiled the app that will let users know the instant Mitt announces his running mate. As Wired noted, the move appears to be 2012 update on the Obama campaign's choice to notify people
of Joe Biden's selection as vice presidential selection in 2008.
Perhaps Romney should go with text messaging, too. A recent study by mobile
marketing firm Velti found Obama is trouncing Romney among smartphone owners, 49% to 31%. The chances of the “Who Will Be Mitt's VP?” app leading to a surge in smartphone support don't
look good. Given the expectation Romney will make a safe choice for VP (in contrast to John McCain picking Sarah Palin), the announcement is awaited with breathless anticipation.
Still, Velti CMO Krishna Subramanian sees the app
as a way for Romney to court smartphone voters, who are more likely to be younger, male,
affluent and non-white than average. “Smartphone users are a demographic in and of themselves that require specific focus and targeting,” he said.
Now,
if Romney could convince Apple to get on stage and introduce the iPhone 5 this fall, he might stand a better chance of capturing the attention of the smartphone crowd. But don't count on it.