CNN has launched a free, ad-supported application for Google?s Android Honeycomb tablet platform to further extend its digital reach.

The CNN application launched in conjunction with the commercial availability of the Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system on the Motorola Xoom tablet. Automaker Toyota's luxury brand Lexus signed on as the launch sponsor of the tablet app.

?From a broad strategic perspective, we know that many consumers look to CNN as a leader in both enterprise reporting and citizen journalism, so we?re looking for ways to deploy both in a way that delivers an immersive experience,? said Louis Gump, vice president of mobile at CNN, Atlanta.

?In this case, we wanted to take advantage of the Honeycomb platform generally, as well as the rear and front-facing camera on the Xoom, to offer our consumers the opportunity to use iReport,? he said.

?This is the first time that CNN iReport has been on a tablet, and we?re excited to see how the tablet audience takes advantage of it.?

CNN Worldwide, a division of Time Warner?s Turner Broadcasting System Inc., includes nine cable and satellite television networks, one private place-based network, two radio networks, mobile applications and Web sites.

CNN targets Android tablet users
The release of the Android Honeycomb application marks the first time that CNN iReport, the network?s user-generated news community, is available in a tablet app.

The audience for Android tablet users will tend to be key influencers and decision makers who are very savvy consumers, per CNN. They will often be comfortable with new technology that is also practical and well-designed.

?The users of the CNN app for Android tablet will tend to be interested in being engaged with their world on CNN, and also especially open to advertisers who are thoughtful about reaching this discerning customer segment,? Mr. Gump said.

?This app provides a premium mobile news experience with news and other content that is highly immersive, and it will draw a very attractive audience for advertisers,? he said. ?Also this app will provide advertisers with the opportunity to reach new consumers that they are not involved with on other platforms.

?In many cases, advertisers on this platform will also be advertising on other CNN products, so there is a multiplier effect that really ensures a cross-section of some of the most desirable audiences available.?

The ad units appearing throughout the application are standard 240 x 400 and 300 x 250 placements, with optional click-through to a full screen expanded overlay.

In terms of video, CNN offers a five-second full-screen video slate unit.

There is a wide range of options for calls-to-action, depending on the needs and creative approach of the advertisers, per Mr. Gump.

Optimizing the features of Android 3.0 Honeycomb, the CNN app for Android showcases a left-rail navigation in the Broadsheet view, letting users swipe through the latest news stories in a grid-format featuring imagery and headlines. 

The CNN application also provides a direct gateway to CNN iReport, available for the first time on a tablet app.

Users can browse user-generated content and register, sign in to their account or sign on as a guest to capture and upload photos and videos through the front and rear cameras.

The application also showcases iReport?s latest ?assignments,? which ask the community to weigh in on specific news stories that CNN is covering.

Users can toggle between U.S. and International news preferences, both of which serve live video of breaking news and select events as they happen, as well as hourly audio news updates from CNN Radio while in the U.S. view. 

The application includes the ability for users to comment alongside content on the screen or share text stories and images from the app via email, Facebook and Twitter.

Users can also flip through story headlines and images directly on their home screen by accessing the application?s layered image widget.

CNN has rolled out a marketing campaign that includes mobile, online and on-air promotion.

?We?ve also been working with partners on some opportunities to reach folks over time as the installed base grows,? Mr. Gump said. ?We know that this app is likely to be used multiple times a day by many people, and so also the best way to help drive downloads is by building the kind of app that users love.

?That?s a fundamental point around which we have built the rest of our promotional strategy,? he said.

Final Take
Mr. Gump