TechCruch posted a story today on Cheating the App Store that has polarized the masses and exposed a hole in the way mobile applications are sold today. According to the article Reverb Communications, a PR agency for games publishers and developers, was outwardly offering to have interns anonymously post positive iTunes App reviews to boost the score that an application receives. Response have ranged from downright shock and anger to "so what." While the later, ho-hum crowd doubted the impact of the action on the overall score it can't be denied that Reverb has been associated with many successful products and that the makers of the games believed in them.
What's at stake
The fact is that the App market depends on peer review for quality governance. Members of the "so what" camp have a buyer beware mentality and give little credence to the ratings system. Stories like this seem to justify their cynicism. However, there's a common misperception that little is at stake b/c download pricing ranges between free and dirt-cheap. But a lot is at stake. The "cheap apps" can deliver quite a bit of money and the Analytics company Flurry shows that even the free app's deliver quantifiable value to their developers.
There's certainly comfort in seeing that someone else has had a good experience with a product. Even a free product takes up space on your device. With so many apps coming out each and everyday it's hard to imagine that we'll ever have a Consumer Reports or JD Power equivalent for mobile applications. The sad truth is that there is no great fix. Fraud is unavoidable, but don't throw the baby out with the bath water. We will continue to need consumer forums to help us make our decisions.
A market correction on the horizon
What's troubling is that the validity of all reviews, even the honest ones are tainted by this deception. Now's the time to see if Adam Smith's Invisible Hand comes into play. The responses on the TechCrunch postings include people who are irate. One poster has requested refunds on all purchased applications associated with Reverb. Others will hold all involved parties accountable. The brands associated with this are certain to take a hit in reputation and hopefully they (and others) will learn a lesson. Cleaning up a tarnished name can be quite expensive. Brands looking to protect their good names will take additional steps to playing be the rules of ethics. The best way get a great review is to simplly deliver a great product. And if you have a useful application that also scores well in usability and performance you're well on your way. There no shame in aggressively marketing something you believe in, just don't cross the line. Build it (well) and they will come.
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