Fitness app hits spot for 2500 reasons
More than 2500 West Australians have downloaded HBF’s new fitness app ahead of next month’s Run for a Reason event.
The free app was created by Perth-based digital agency Adapptor and was launched late last month in time for the health insurer’s members and the public to complete eight-week training program ahead of the annual charity run.
Jennifer Solitario, HBF executive general manager of health and wellness, said those downloading the app answer a few short health questions and then get a specific training schedule.
“The training programs themselves have been designed with UWA and include walking and running schedules for the 4km, 12km and 21km events in HBF Run for a Reason,” she said.
“The app can be synched with wearable fitness devices like Fitbits and Jawbones. (Or) you can log your activity manually.”
Ms Solitario said this version of the app had been developed to link in with Run for a Reason but future versions would tie in with fitness sessions the insurer offers around the State.
“As fitness wearables become more sophisticated, we are sure there will be some amazing possibilities,” she said.
The app is available for both Android and iOS.
Bam cultures 6Q
Improving a company’s culture, productivity and internal communications is the idea behind a new survey app created by Perth digital agency Bam Creative.
Called 6Q, the weekly employee engagement survey app launched late last month and is already being used by 140 organisations across 25 countries.
The app allows employers to ask six questions, either customised or programmed, and uses facial emojis (small cartoonish illustrations) to “encourage deeper, more truthful responses”.
Bam Creative managing director Miles Burke said the survey would take employees about six minutes a week.
“6Q gives businesses the chance to understand how their employees feel and why, by gathering feedback in a fun, meaningful and actionable way that makes employees feel valued and appreciated,” he said.
“Gone are the days of annual performance reviews.
“We need to take a real-time approach to engaging our employees rather than relying on annual snapshots.”
Circuit-breaker for Frontier
In May 2013 ago M&M featured a new app called Take5Feedback, which allowed customers to tell hospitality businesses what was good or bad about their experience with their goods or services.
Two years later and Perth-based custom software developer The Frontier Group has taken an equity stake in the company behind the app, renamed Engine Room Apps, and an improved Take5Feedback has relaunched under its new name Circuit.
The original Take5Feedback allowed used a simple interface with happy, neutral and sad smiley faces to rate an establishment’s food, drink, service and hygiene.
Unlike TripAdvisor or Urban Spoon, the feedback went directly to the business, rather than a public forum, where it could be received by the manager or owner, in real time.
Jeremy Wolf, managing director of Engine Room Apps, said the app faced the “chicken and egg problem”. “Businesses were not prepared to use the app, as it didn’t have a large user base, and users were not prepared to use the app due to the lack of businesses signed up,” he said.
“We took a step backward and went back to the drawing board.”
The result was a joint venture with Frontier Group. The new app, Circuit, is being rolled out in Perth and Melbourne this month and is a free-to-use service for business. It is aimed at small-to-medium retail enterprises and producers that want to manage and promote their services through mobile-based customer interaction.
“The focus (is) on user uptake and once (there is) a large base, (get) sponsorship and advertising,” Mr Wolf said.
