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First Response swaddles up mobile for Bluetooth-enabled pregnancy test

First Response is the latest marketer foraying into smart appliances, this time with a Bluetooth-enabled pregnancy test and complementary mobile application to guide users through their child-bearing journey.

The smart-enabled pregnancy test, created by Church & Dwight Co., was unveiled at Las Vegas?s Consumer Electronics Show and claims to be the only one of its kind on the market. The First Response Pregnancy PRO digital kit syncs with consumers? devices via a mobile app, enabling users to access materials dedicated to relieving stress throughout the testing process.

?The app provides information and coupons on the full portfolio of First Response products,? said Stacey Feldman, vice president of marketing at Church & Dwight, Ewing, NJ. ?For nearly 30 years, First Response has been a pioneer in the field of women?s health, with a portfolio of innovative ovulation and pregnancy test kits.

?As a pioneer in the field of women?s health, First Response is always seeking innovation to better meet consumers? needs.?

Nurturing through mobile
First Response?s Pregnancy PRO Digital Pregnancy Test and app access is designed to offer a unique and digital testing process for each woman, while putting extra focus on reducing stress during what could be an anxiety-ridden time.

Users will be able to access calming content as they wait for their result, followed by an in-app recommended plan of action based on the test result.

First Response sought to fill the gap in the market with this new technology after realizing 50 percent of smartphone owners are expected to download apps related to mobile health by 2017. Two-thirds of pregnant women have also been proven to leverage their personal devices to look up health information.

The Pregnancy PRO stick, which individuals will use to take the test, will sync to the First Response app through a disposable Bluetooth Smart module. The consumer is then asked to input profile information to enable the app to customize her experience.

During the three-minute wait for results, the user is provided with a plethora of choices to soothe potential nerves, including the ?Calm Me? option, which showcases relaxing visuals to combat anxiety, and ?Educate Me? and ?Entertain Me,? which display materials related to fertility and videos designed to distract and entertain, respectively.

Once the result is available, it will appear on the test stick as well as the smartphone screen, after the user enters a secure access code. The kit claims it can detect pregnancy up to six days before a missed period.

The smart-enabled test will then offer an action plan for the user. Individuals with negative results may receive suggested steps and tips, such as best practices for cycle tracking.

Those with positive results can receive a rough estimate of their expected due date, as well as updates regarding the child?s growth and development.

Additional features include the ability to track pregnancy milestones, set reminders for prenatal appointments and access suggested questions to ask healthcare professionals.

The digital kit will also save the test result based on each consumer?s information so that it can store how many times she has taken a pregnancy test before.

Constant connectivity
Consumers nowadays expect constant connectivity regardless of their location. Marketers specializing in services related to pregnancy and child-rearing have found lucrative potential in mobile, as evidenced by the slew of companies rolling out digital content geared toward on-the-go parents.

Last spring, XO Group pregnancy publication The Bump developed an application for the Apple Watch to better reach the new millennial mother with additional content (see story).

Similarly, pregnancy and parenting digital resource BabyCenter rolled out a new app created to provide mothers with bite-sized ideas on child-rearing, expert advice and peer guidance as their children move beyond the infancy years (see story).

First Response and Church & Dwight will likely find a receptive audience for the new digital kit and complementary app, especially among tech-savvy women.

?We are excited about the many features the test offers in addition to displaying the YES+/NO- test result,? Ms. Feldman said. ?The synced Pregnancy PRO app provides the user with a variety of options to help ease anxiety during the three-minute wait while the test is determining a result.?