A new mobile application from Avon is available to anyone participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer as a tool to help users train for the walk and raise money from friends and family.

The Avon Walk/runtastic Pedometer app was designed to help keep participants motivated while supporting their fitness and fundraising goals. The app will help drive donations by enabling users to share their achievements via social media platforms.

“One of the features we are most excited about is providing walkers with a way to raise money for their charity during their training,” said Josh Shaeffer, vice president of product development at runtastic, San Francisco. “The app provides a unique way of sharing an achievement (training walk) on social media platforms, and we believe this will compel friends and family to donate to the Avon Walk cause.

“Another great feature is for Avon Walk to know how much training their walkers are doing so they can work with them and help them reach their goal,” he said.

“Plus users can now monitor their steps, distance, time, calories consumed and other important statistics to get the most out of their training.”

Avon partnered with fitness app developer runtastic for the co-branded app.

Driving donations
Runtastic has developed mobile apps for a variety of fitness activities, including Roadbike, Moutainbike, Pedometer, Wintersports and Walktastic.

Using the Pedometer app, Avon Walk participants can measure their progress as they prepare for the two-day, 39-mile walk. In addition to counting steps, the app offers metrics including distance, time, pace and calories consumed to support users’ training efforts.

Participants can share their training sessions on both Facebook and Twitter and these posts and tweets can be viewed by their friends and followers both online and via their mobile phones.

A “Donate Now” link to the Avon Walk Web site will enable users to ask their social network for donations.

Runtastic feels this constant sharing will encourage participants’ friends and family to donate, a strategy has proven successful for sites such as FirstGiving and Crowdrise.

Creating value
Avon Walk will promote the app in an email to participants. The Pedometer app will also appear on the Avon Walk Web site with a link to download.

Additionally, runtastic will have a presence at their San Francisco walk to promote the app.

To download the co-branded Pedometer app, walkers can log into their Avon Walk Personal Page and click on the Pedometer button.

The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer series of events is in its tenth year this year. Since its launch, it has raised more than $440 million to fund breast cancer research and provide access to care.

“This Pedometer app provides Avon Walk with a new tool to create additional value for their walkers,” Mr. Shaeffer said “The app will be helpful with training sessions, fundraising and during the actual Avon Walk events.

“Now Avon walkers can track and share their progress and take advantage of their social networks to raise money in an indirect way,” he said.

Final Take
Chantal Tode is associate editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York