Reader?s Digest has entered the mobile space with its first iPhone and iPod touch application designed to extend the pocket-sized publication?s brand.

The Life IQ game features five topics described as need-to-know, letting consumers experience Reader?s Digest material in a new way. The application, the first mobile property from Reader?s Digest, helps further the magazine?s goal to reach new customers on multiple platforms.

?Emerging platforms ? such as mobile ? offer a great opportunity to introduce our brand, content and products to a new generation of Reader's Digest customers, which is a central part of our strategy,? said Jonathan Hills, general manager of ReadersDigest.com, Pleasantville, NY.

?Secondly, consumers have shown a willingness to pay for content on mobile devices, which opens-up some interesting opportunities,? he said. ?I'm a firm believer that consumers will be far more inclined to pay for content on mobile devices than on the Web.

?With mobile you get convenience, high-utility, a low price point and an incredibly simple way to pay, which is an attractive proposition.?

Reader?s Digest is published in 50 editions and 21 languages and reaches readers in more than 60 countries.

Mobile life
The Life IQ application is available for free. It asks consumers multiple choice questions from topics including Food, Home, Health, Technology and Money, in addition to a random category packed with more questions. 

Questions within the application include: ?What should you never ask for when ordering a drink at a restaurant?? and ?Which word is considered too weak for resumes??

After each question, consumers will get the Reader?s Digest Version answer and tips.

The application features more than 500 timed questions.

Consumers can keep beating their score by correctly answering questions ? the faster they answer, the more points they earn.

The application also lets consumers pick whether they would like to answer questions in a specific category, or they can shake their wireless device to get a mix of random questions.

Reader?s Digest is known for being the pocket-sized, on-the-go magazine, but Mr. Hills said he does not see mobile devices being harmful to the brand.

?I see mobile devices as a huge opportunity rather than a threat,? Mr. Hills said. ?As media consumption habits continue to change, this gives premium content companies like Reader's Digest the opportunity to build relationships with our customers through a whole set of new channels.

?From magazine to iPhone or book to BlackBerry ? we now have the potential to reach consumers wherever they are,? he said.

Reader?s Digest?s goal is to build a portfolio of digital products that appeal to different customer segments.

In the case of mobile, the magazine made the assumption that the demographic would skew slightly younger than its average reader.

A first step
The initial version of Life IQ is free and ad-supported. There are no advertisers as of yet.

Reader?s Digest?s goal is to offer a series of paid-for upgrades in the form of additional questions for the Life IQ game or an enhanced set of features.

Mr. Hills said the freemium model is a good fit for Life IQ but the magazine has other applications in the pipeline that it will charge for right off the bat.

Promotion for the application includes spots in the magazine, in the Reader?s Digest branded email newsletters and at http://www.ReadersDigest.com.

Mr. Hills said mobile helps Reader?s Digest think carefully about how it can creatively repackage its content to produce unique, multiplatform consumer experiences.

?I believe that you have to create an experience that takes full advantage of the platform it lives on,? Mr. Hills said. ?In the case of our Life IQ app, we were able to take a combination of magazine, book and Web content and transform it into a fun, engaging mobile product.

?This is our first push into the mobile space but we have more initiatives in the pipeline,? he said. ?A mobile version of our classic Word Power game will be released on the iPhone in the spring and we have a host of other mobile content experiences on our product roadmap.?