NEW YORK - Executives from The Washington Post at the Mobile Marketing Summit: Wearables and Holiday Focus 2015 stressed how important it is for the editorial team to create content specific to each of the different devices available today for consuming news content. 

During the session, How a Mobile-First Approach has Upped Engagement and Repeat Visits, the executives detailed how the publisher has driven more effective engagement rates by focusing on each respective device. The publication has developed a wide range of connected and highly optimized digital products, with the editorial team focused on serving images and articles that consumers will enjoy best through the particular device and platform. 

Mobile Marketer organized the Mobile Marketing Summit: Wearables and Holiday Focus 2015.

The Washington Post has numerous digital properties spanning various devices such as applications and Web sites for several tablets, mobile and wearable devices. For instance, the publication released an application for Amazon?s Kindle named Pinch View in which readers experience the digital content similar to reading a print version of its newspapers. 

The editorial team is now fitted with the task to pinpoint which content works best on what platform. For instance, with the Pinch View app editors create a specific icon daily, featured on the top of the Kindle homepage. 

The team has the ability to play with what will be most effective as a small icon on the top of the screen, and is able to reach a substantial amount of new readers as well as secure recurring viewers. 

For the Apple Watch and other wearable devices the publication is creating various apps that serve top headlines fitted for the extra small space, including an app that sends users the top stories of the day at a specific time of their choosing. The extra small space means that the editorial staff has to focus on what will work well on the tiny screen. 

The same story on a print issues will be completely different experience for those accessing it on a wearable device or a smart phone. 

These new digital experiences are apart of Project Rainbow, a new initiative developed following the publication?s acquisition by Amazon creator Jeff Bezos. The applications and tools created under this strategy were developed to be exceptionally fast, a silent feature of an app, which is vital to its success. 

Consumers engaging with a brand and reading content on various devices will drop out if there is lag time or bugs associated with a particular platform or app. The publication was cognizant of this, and focused on creating the most effective projects rather than inexpensive. 

The executives explained that it is vital to develop app for a publication, but more importantly to create it to be the most effective. The news industry has shifted vastly towards digital and mobile, with many being leaders in mobile innovation, which makes it imperative for news organization to develop optimized digital platforms.