National Geographic Kids has launched a branded application for Apple?s iPad that is meant to be the ultimate guide to dinosaurs.

Dinopedia contains beautiful art, videos and information on more than 700 different dinosaur species. It is a digital port from the award-winning Dinopedia book the company published in October.

This is National Geographic Kids? first application designed specifically for the iPad. Mobile Marketer?s Dan Butcher interviewed Katie Juhl, manager of mobile at National Geographic, Washington.

Here is what she said.

What is the target demographic for this application?
Ultimate Dinopedia is an application designed for kids, primarily six and up, as well as educators and general dinosaur enthusiasts.

What is the price point?
As a premium iPad application, we have set Ultimate Dinopedia at $5.99.

We feel that the iPad platform has greatly enhanced the materials from the Ultimate Dinopedia children?s book, allowing for a greater level of interactivity.

How will National Geographic get the word out about the application (i.e. marketing tactics)? Will there be any advertising to promote it? What is National Geographic?s strategy behind the launch of the Dinopedia children?s book for the iPad?
This is a book-based, iPad-only application, a first from National Geographic Kids.

As this is such a great app for kids, we?re currently working to create some buzz around the application leading up to the holidays.

Then, beginning around the first of the year, we will begin some more aggressive outreach.

We are working with Apple and following their guidance for a big promotion in early January.

Ultimate Dinopedia utilizes so many iPad features, and really shows off its amazing display and capabilities.

We are considering iPad targeted advertising, however our decision on that will be determined by the initial reception of the app by the media and consumers.

What do you expect the impact of tablets to be in 2011 for publishers such as National Geographic?
It is important for publishers to stay on top of how consumers take in media, and tablets are the latest trend in the evolution of publishing.

While there will always be those that wish to receive their National Geographic in the mail every month or at their local newsstand, others will prefer to read our stories online, and still others via tablet devices like the iPad.

Wherever there are readers interested in the wonders of our planet ? we will be there with the high quality content people have come to expect from National Geographic.

Final take
"National Geographic Kids Ultimate Dinopedia" gives the fact files on three of the most fascinating dinosaurs in history: Carnotaurus, Styracosaurus, and Spinosaurus.

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