News Corp's free commuter paper, mX, has launched the latest instalment of its app, with the paper rolling-out a responsive app design across its mobile, tablet and desktop assets.
To support the new digital offering mX is relying solely on native advertising and brand partners on its mobile app and mX publisher Tamara Oppen told AdNews that the brand sees native as the best way to reach its audience.
“We know that our audience don't like banner and button ads, so moving forward the new app will only have native integrated ads and brand partnerships,” Oppen said.
Oppen told AdNews that mX is currently in the process of signing other brand partners, however airline Jetstar has come on board to sponsor the brand's new travel section Wanderlust.
“It's a completly user generated travel section,” she said. “We literally put an ad in the paper that says: 'Our boss is too tight to send us to Byron Bay, tell us your stories.' So they share, where to sit, where to sip, where to shop, where to eat and they send in their photos.
“It's only in its third week and it's really resonated with the audience.”
As part of the app relaunch it's going to allow its users to get closer than ever before with the paper's most popular section, Talk, now allowing people to comment and connect in real-time via the app. Rather than previously, where users would text a hotline and their comments would appear in the paper the next day.
“One of the most exciting features is that one of our most popular sections Talk will be live. The Talk section has Lost in Love, Overheard and Here's Looking at You. When we do research in focus groups we constantly find that it's our most popular section," she said.
“So now in the app you'll be able to post comments in real-time - people are calling it Tinder on steroids. They're all eager to see it. When they were actually testing it one guy said: 'I'm going to have to update my data plan because I'm going to be on it all the time.”
Although the app won't just be used for live chat and flirting, as time of day sections on the app such as Wakey Wakey, First Serve and Happy Hour will ensure quirky, irreverent and informative news, sport and entertainment stories mX is famous for are available throughout the day.
The paper’s famous horoscope section, Should I Get out of Bed Tomorrow? will also be available on the app.
It isn't just the paper's app that's getting a face-life, the print edition has undergone a transformation.
MX has not just got a new logo and some new sections but there will be a fresh modern design as well as a greater use of colour.
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