Apps to keep up with the stars

MANILA, Philippines - It’s what every fan girl or fan boy wishes for — a whole app solely devoted to their idol.

Instagram and Twitter aren’t the only social media platforms these days where fans can know more about their favorite celebrities. Thanks to tech firm Appefize, top-notch artists like Derek Ramsay, Richard Gutierrez, Ruffa Gutierrez, Solenn Heussaff, Christian Bautista, Martin Nievera, Tippy dos Santos, Barbie Almalbis, Regine Tolentino and Jim Paredes now have apps which fans can download anytime, anywhere on their phones, tablets and laptops.

Appefize is a Software as a Service (SaaS) company, which maintains a Content-to-App platform that turns entertainment media into “Freemium” Gamified Multi-platform Mobile App.

Appefize recently held a press conference to launch its Celebrity Apps that showcase one’s favorite actors/actresses, concert artists, pop stars in never-before-seen genres or ways of life.

“We know Filipinos love celebrities and they are very devoted to their idols, so we decided to partner with celebrities to create apps for them. And what makes it different is that you’ll see other aspects of their lives aside from being celebrities,”said Russell Tomas, founder/CEO of Appefize.

“For example, Solenn, you know her as a model and an actress but not many are aware that she’s also a painter. She’s gonna display some of her paintings on her app. She also cooks and she will post her concoction on her app.  There are other things that celebrities would want to showcase and let other people know, that hey, I’m not just an artista, I’m also doing this and that. They can do what they like on their app. They have more space and freedom to do what they want,” said  COO Terry Davies.

Jay-R agrees, saying he’s very personal and hands-on with his app.

“In my app, I personally record my own thoughts and share it with my fans through a digital journal. Digital journal is like the future of today. It’s like a diary, I write about my travels, my daily experiences, etc... They can also hear my music and my app has links to my photos and videos,” the R&B singer told reporters at the press launch.

The same goes for Regine, who is very excited with her app. “I’ve put a lot of things on my app. They can find my Zumba activities there and on the career aspect, well, I’ve been in the industry for the last 15 years, so I will post my corporate shows and all the exciting things happening in my life. We have make-up and fashion tips for mommies or hairstyle tips for girls. We’ll keep everyone updated on the latest fashion like who’s wearing what and who, OOTDs and all. My app is fun and informative. I will also show my products like the infinity shawl and how to wear it. People will have a chance to get to know the real me,” Regine said.

Jim, for his part, said his app features his works as a writer, photographer and a musician. Ruffa and Richard, on the other hand, will have tons of pictures and videos on their apps.

Sports celebrities like Taekwondo athletes Japoy Lizardo and Janice Lagman have also partnered with Appefize for their own apps.

During the presscon, Japoy said his app contains fight videos that have not been televised before.

“These are videos that were recorded abroad but not shown here. We also put out basic Taekwondo moves so you can defend yourselves during emergencies,” he said. Same with Janice who said her app will feature other aspects of her life, like her travels and other hobbies.

Apppefize CFO Carlos Campa said, “Through their apps, we intend to show a side of the celebrities’ creativity that they don’t get to showcase in other social media platforms. It’s the fans’ chance to get to know their favorite celebrities a little better.”

Plus, the content is highly-engaging and beautifully designed, he added. The celebrities’ apps are gamified to generate more interactivity and engagement.

“For fans, it will surely be a treat. Appefize will make your entertainment portable and convenient by making your concerts, movies, TV shows, celebrity stories and updates available to you at your beck and call or at your finger tips, a swipe away,” said Tomas.

Backed by “game development” as Appefize’s orientation, the company prides itself in having a robust engine that is functional in multi-platforms and that also allows it to turn around the production of apps in less time required by others.

The celebrities’ apps are available in the following platforms iOS (Iphone, Ipad), Android, Kindle Fire, Windows 8 Mobile and more.

When it came to the selection of celebrities to partner with, Tomas said that their popularity wasn’t the only deciding factor.

“The top ones average a million, 50 to 100,000 followers, but our partnerships are not based on their millions of followers. Many of these people (our partners) have content that we feel have not yet been fully utilized. At the same time, the whole idea is, if this artist don’t have many followers, imagine how the common person is. For us, we even want to go beyond that. This is the gauge if we can get a content provider who has 10,000 followers, we can give him an app and because he’s talented, we can help him grow that network, what we’re looking for is also his potential,” Tomas said.