

Ask HN: How does an iOS app like Clear get so much publicity? - nevster

I mean, it's a kind of interesting interface but how come it shows up on a site like macrumors.com as a major article?
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ja27
Well to start with, they went to MacWorld and previewed the app there. I don't
follow the space much, but I think the company was somewhat well-known already
for Mac apps.

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phillryu
We debuted the app at Macworld. Our Clear coverage was in a MacRumors post
that covered highlights from the show floor.

Our marketing was definitely competent. Realmac Software worked with a local
video producer and shot a great sizzling video, and we reached out to a bunch
of people with the beta and promo codes before the app hit. But there wasn't
anything special or crazy going on in the external marketing.

I can't stress enough, the answer to the submitter's question is the app, and
what I would describe as a design and feature reboot to a very crowded space.
I think this resonates with iPhone users.

The app got people who saw it and tried it very excited. It sells itself, and
seems to make evangelists out of its users. Sure, our marketing and press
efforts helped accelerate its spread through twitter and stuff on launch day.
But as a random anecdote, we've had thousands of people send out copies to
friends as gifts already, and I've simply never seen that before.

If we're onto something here, it's definitely with the app and its design and
not so much its marketing. Clear's marketing is very vanilla. Its design, not
so much.

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nevster
Thanks for the reply. Here's hoping my app will have some of the same spark...

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tuananh
Because blog writers (Apple-related sites) like to kiss each other's asses.
One guy praise the app, the other guys follow.

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c_t_montgomery
While that may be true, it's absolutely not the case.

A lot of their coverage has to do with the fact that it's got an intuitive and
brilliant UI.

