General Mills? Nature Valley Trail View virtual hiking paths are now available on mobile for the first time following heavy traffic on mobile and consumer interest in taking the experience on the go. 

Reviews showed interest in utilizing the virtual guides during physical visits as an educational and navigational tool. Users now have access to 23 high-resolution panorama views of national parks using the optimized mobile Web site.

?Since Trail View?s launch, we?ve heard consumer feedback on the desktop experience being used as a planning tool if a consumer was heading out to any of the parks we feature as an educational tool to show students the beauty of these parks outside of a textbook and as a pure inspirational site to bring a dose of nature into people?s everyday lives,? said Amanda Weigel, senior digital marketing specialist for the snacks division at General Mills, Minneapolis. 

?Although the initial experience wasn?t accessible on a mobile or tablet device, we had 400 percent year-over-year growth of traffic to the site from mobile and tablet devices and wanted to ensure those consumers could take in the Trail View experience, too,? she said.

Mother nature
The mobile site is similar to its desktop counterpart and users can access all of the same views.

General Mills launched the virtual tool on desktop in 2012 to give those unable to travel the ability to explore United States national parks in a different way. 

Trail View claims to be the only digital platform to capture extensive street-view content for Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains and the Sequoias.

Executives and influencers of the app hope to see more people encompass themselves in nature with the guidance of Trail View.

Mobile traveling
Health enthusiasts are able to bring a new meaning to apps by mobilizing them in real time through physical activity, giving reason for marketers to apply movement to their apps.

California State Parks Foundation rolled out a mobile application that lets users take trail guide information with them while they explore state parks and beaches across California.

CSPF partnered with EveryTrail to develop the application, which is available as a free download, and users can find the best hikes in each park and navigate hiking trails using detailed maps, description points of interest, photos and audio. Users can also share their experience by tracking their hikes, taking photos and uploading them to EveryTrail, Facebook and Twitter (see story). 

Furthermore, digital music service Spotify and athletic brand Adidas teamed together to promote the new #BoostYourRun trend by devising personalized playlists for runners.

Spotify and Adidas aimed to maximize workouts by using location, music preference and desired workout intensity level to revamp the user experience. The #BoostYourRun campaign worked alongside Adidas? existing Boost running shoe collection, encouraging runners to employ the ?Boost? cushioning technology (see story).

By enabling mobile maps and views and a reliable reference point for active users, General Mills ensures brand awareness and loyalty.

?We love the entire mobile and tablet experience, but the 360-panorama photos are what have truly taken our breath away,? Ms. Weigel said. ?Being able to look up, down and all around these 23 scenes is pretty cool. We hope it allows the consumer to feel as if they were standing at these sites in-person.?

?Nature Valley strives to connect people to nature, and to encourage enjoying all the benefits nature offers when immersed in it,? she said. ?As a brand with strong ties to the outdoors, we?ve been a long-standing supporter of the National Parks, through preservation efforts and encouraging people to visit them.  

?The updated Trail View experience is an extension of this support and is one of the many activations we have planned to connect people with nature.  We hope that by bringing the parks to consumers wherever they are, we will inspire them to go outside and experience nature in the national parks or somewhere closer to home.?

Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon, editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer, New York