This case study describes how David Jacobson, an airline pilot, used a paid mobile app and a companion free news app to distribute and monetize his educational content about landing techniques. The paid Jacobson Flare app was created using PressPad Magz and delivered high-quality interactive content. A free Jacobson Flare News app was later created using PressPad News to promote the paid app. Users who enjoyed the free content were encouraged to purchase the full paid app. This dual app strategy helped Jacobson successfully build an audience and generate sales for his niche educational content.

1. What Role Can News App
Play In The Marketing Of
Paid Content?
*
The Jacobson Flare Case Study

2. This presentation will show you a
fascinating case study of one of our
customers, The Jacobson Flare. You’ll
see how important role news app can
play in a content marketing strategy.
We’re PressPad – the company that
creates mobile magazine apps,
digital newsstands for PDF issues,
and WordPress-based news apps.
www.presspadapp.com
www.jacobsonflare.com 2

3. The Jacobson Flare is a landing training technique
invented by David Jacobson – an airline pilot who
retired after flying planes for fifty-five years.
Now, David concentrates on educating pilots and flight
students by running a website and blog, gives
speeches, and more.
He has a multichannel content strategy - the goal is
to share what he learned.
What is The Jacobson Flare about?
*
*
*
3
www.presspadapp.com

4. www.jacobsonflare.com 4

5. David Jacobson wrote us a few years ago when he
was looking for a solution to distribute his content.
He had an educational content in PDF form and
wanted to distribute it thanks to mobile devices.
Our idea was to prepare a mobile app based on an
existing PDF file.
How did our cooperation start?
*
*
*
5
www.presspadapp.com

6. Our digital publishing platform PressPad Magz
became the starting point for creating The Jacobson
Flare paid mobile app.
We created the paid app which is a comprehensively
illustrated, interactive presentation including
educational high-quality content.
It is simple to the understand for pilots and flight
students.
How did we answer his needs?
*
*
6
www.presspadapp.com
*

7. The Jacobson Flare App on the App Store (PressPad Magz)
7

8. The content is presented in a form of an interactive
landscape presentation.
It includes an extensive reference section, graphically
enhanced HD videos, and five onboard calculators.
The app is available for iOS and Android.
There are no ads and any other in-app purchases
inside.
What is this app characterized by?
*
*
*
*
8
www.presspadapp.com

9. Whether you fly cloth covered, light, or heavy
metal airplanes, Capt JAcobson has created a
superb App, to help you master landings. With
videos from a variety of cockpits, and easy to
follow instructions, this App is one of the best
tools any pilot could have in their flight bag. I
highly recommend it.
What do users think about the app?
The Jacobson Flare App is
one of those aids that
make life easier. The App
will cost you about what an
hour with a CFI will cost,
and it is worth every penny.
9
The reviews of The Jacobson Flare App from
the App Store and the Jacobson Flare website

10. After a while the first app was released, David got
several suggestions from others that we might
consider a free Jacobson Flare light version, that
can serve to attract potential clients to the full, paid
one.
What happened next?
*
10
Finally, after considering (and trying, then
rejecting paid advertising in) aviation journals
as not so effective for us, I realized the free JF
News app could widen the circulation of our
blogs to a new, more mobile audience and
make a great JF light companion to the
original paid app. – he said.

11. Thanks to our publishing platform PressPad News we
created another app - The Jacobson Flare News.
Reflections on Landing. It is the free companion to the
complete paid app.
This free news app is full of educational content for
pilots and students, without ads. The content is divided
into categories.
The app is available on Android and iOS.
What did we do then?
*
*
*
11
www.presspadapp.com

12. The Jacobson Flare News App (PressPad News) 12

13. The free news app didn’t replace the paid app but
began to support it.
The free app contributed to the increased interest in
the paid one.
What was the effect of having two apps?
*
13
It now appears that some pilots
download the free Jacobson
Flare News App and then are
further intrigued and inspired to
purchase the paid JF App for iOS
and Android. – David said.
*

14. The free news app is the magnet, encouraging
people to download the paid app.
It is an innovative way to implement a well-known
strategy – show me your value, let me try the
product so that I know that it is worth buying.
There’s one element in the news app encouraging
users to download the paid app – a bar that pops
up at the bottom of the screen.
What is the role of the news app?
*
*
*
14
www.presspadapp.com

15. 15

16. The iPad has largely captured the aviation market and
is used widely, being approved for the military, airlines
and other GA operators, as an electronic flight bag
(EFB), supporting flight planning, aircraft performance
and operation and instrument departure and
approach applications, for use on the ground and in
flight.
Why were apps a great choice?
*
16
Since 2014, my intended
audience has been
confirmed by app sales in 67
nations. – David said.

17. Content distribution diversification (website, blog, apps).
Narrow, but well-defined niche (pilots and flight students).
Educational, high-quality content.
Adjusting the tools to the niche.
Promotion strategy (David Jacobson has been building
his personal brand for many years).
Well-designed financial strategy (the only product David
sells is his paid app).
Where’s the secret of success?
*
*
*
*
*
* 17

18. some of those who download the free
app, want more and install the paid app
after a few times contact with the brand, people
download the free news app
people have the first contact with brand (website,
blog, conferences or word of mouth, etc.)
An individual sales funnel was also important:
THE TOP OF THE FUNNEL
THE MIDDLE OF THE FUNNEL
THE BOTTOM OF THE FUNNEL
18

19. 19

20. What’s PressPad’s value in this story?
The PressPad apps represent great value to us: first, our
previous platform provider could only offer the iOS app
version – not Android.
Second, we are getting much improved value for money
from PressPad.
The Jacobson Flare App now relies on the integrity and
flexibility of the PressPad Magz platform and the expertise
of the PressPad App specialists.
Their professionalism and proactive communication skills
have been a joy to behold and the results speak for
themselves. - David Jacobson said.
20

21. If you’re looking for new ways to distribute
and monetize your content, contact us.
www.presspadapp.com
21

22. Where can you find PressPad?
@presspadapp
PressPad LinkedIn
*
+1 888 712 0331
22