Mobile market research - news & insight from emerging markets

Our CEO Alistair Hill, talks to SmartMonkeyTV about the findings of our latest mobile research study into the grocery shopping habits of people in developing and developed markets. Alistair also talks about the implications FMCG companies should consider if they are to be successful in their expansion into growth markets.

If you’re attending the Insight Show at Marketing Week Live, come and say hello, we would love to meet you in person and we have lots of new and exciting research projects to tell you about. You will also have the chance to see our mobile survey tool in action and enter our competition. So stop by and meet the team at stand F234.

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Our CEO Alistair Hill has just returned from Myanmar and was surprised to see there are still places in the world that have not been touched by the mobile revolution.

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More than 85% of the global population has a mobile phone and these devices have a profound impact on people’s lives. The average US consumer is never more than three feet away from their mobile, with the average smartphone user checking their device 40 times a day according to Google..

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One in ten young people have been rejected for a job because of their social media profile. These are the latest findings from our Young People’s Consumer Confidence (YPCC) Index, which is designed to help businesses understand what young people aged 16-34 think about their economic and employment prospects, in both developed and growth markets.

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As a key member of the commercial team, the Director South East Asia will report to the CEO. The Director SE Asia will have primary day-to-day responsibility for leading sales and customer services activity in SE Asia.

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It is fantastic news that our client ITV has been selected for an AOP award in recognition of their ad sync research project. We were proud to work with ITV on the project and to help them understand the effectiveness of dual screening adverts on TV and in-app, during their flagship live entertainment show X Factor.

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Researchers at IBM, using movement data collected from millions of mobile phone users in Ivory Coast in West Africa, have developed a new model for optimising an urban transportation system.

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We are delighted to have worked with the outdoor advertiser JCDecaux to help them build their mobile Connected Youth panel. This new mobile community of 1000 urban mobile-connected 15-24s gives JCDecaux access to their opinions, habits and lifestyle choices via a device that's relevant to young people and which ensures learning’s are new, interesting and up to date.

The bite mobile is taking out of desktop Internet use keeps getting bigger. In the US, 67% of mobile Internet users said they mostly or only used mobile, as opposed to the desktop, to go online and surf the web.

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Are you interested in mobile research but aren't sure about the methodology? Or do you simply want to know more about the capabilities of mobile research? Sign up to our FREE Inform and Inspire mobile research session and we will answer all your questions.

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As we are particularly interested in mobile usage in Africa and the way it has transformed people’s lives, we have conducted a short mobile survey focusing on mobile Internet usage in Kenya. The results showed that for 20% of Kenyan mobile users, the mobile phone is the only possible way for them to access the Internet. This increases to 25% for those living in rural areas.

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In our latest mobile research poll we asked a series of questions about what British people thought about Europe and the crisis it faces.

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Interesting geographical map from the Economist, forecasting worldwide GDP growth in 2013. The forecast shows the outlook for economic growth in the West is looking very bleak in contrast to developing markets.

As a key member of the Executive Management team, the Finance Director will report to the CEO and assume a strategic role in the overall management of the company.

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A pioneering, fast growing start-up company based in the heart of London, has an exciting opportunity for a full time Account Executive.

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China’s e-commerce market racked up 1.3 trillion RMB ($190 billion USD) worth of transactions in 2012, according to a report by the China Internet Network Information Centre (CINIC) a massive increase of 66.5% over 2011's total.

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We’re getting more clients asking us to provide them with instant responses to current topical questions. Mobile is great for returning data quickly and reporting results instantly. We recently asked some questions about the controversial former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and within an hour we had over 200 responses. The results show that even in her death she has divided the British nation about her funeral arrangements.

In less than 20 years we will have sensors inside us monitoring the best time to wake us up, diagnostic mobile apps that scan our bodies to reveal any health problems and haptic devices embedded in our shoes, which will give us a gentle pinch to remind us we’re running late for a meeting. But it's in the developing markets where the digital revolution will have the most profound impact.

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Following on from our ‘Visualise how people grocery shop in developing markets’ blog post, where we asked people around the world to take pictures of their grocery shopping, Peter Wenham a market researcher who lives and works in Shanghai, has sent us his shopping pictures along with his observations and experiences of grocery shopping in China.

The big technology giants are all rumoured to be working on the next big device trend - wearable technology. This is because there is a line of thinking that the Smartphone era will perish almost as quickly as it began. Just as the Smartphone killed the flip phone, and the iPad is killing the traditional PC, some new technology is going to come along and kill the Smartphone.

The global financial crisis has brought into sharper focus the long-term shift in economic power towards the developing world. Global consumer product companies are embracing this underlying trend and the mantra of reaching the next one billion customers in emerging markets.

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We are starting to see a considerable need for mobile research panels and have doubled the business year on year. It is fantastic to welcome three new team members who bring a wealth of experience from the research sector and who have worked for high growth companies. But most importantly they are nice people who we will all enjoy working with.

Fresh back from Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and filled with lots of inspiration, here are the top themes we found at one of the most important events in the mobile industry calendar, attended by over 70,000 people.

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Our business is growing fast and we need to expand our team! We're looking to hire a Marketing Executive, based in central London.

Mobile apps offer consumers fun and functionality via the one device that stays with them throughout the day. In recent months, however, a few high profile apps have hit the news for all the wrong reasons with transgressions around collection and use of personal data. The importance of trust and privacy of personal data, are just some of the key issues raised in MEF's Global Privacy Report, carried out in partnership with On Device Research.

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Africa today is a safer, more stable and prosperous region. The world's attention is increasingly turning to Africa, as one of the few places left where significant growth can be achieved, but success depends on understanding this diverse continent. Matthew Angus, Research Director of KLA, a South African based research agency, talks to us about how mobile research is gaining traction as the best way to gain insights into African markets.

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We are a pioneering, fast growing start-up company based in London, and we have an exciting opportunity for a full time Research Executive.

In France the iPhone 4S has a higher device satisfaction than the iPhone 5, and in Germany, the iPhone 5 doesn’t even rank in the top 5 devices for user satisfaction.

Despite Apple's success, the much anticipated iPhone 5 only ranks fifth in device satisfaction in a study of 93,825 US mobile users, behind four Android powered devices.

Huawei is to launch a low-cost Windows Phone 8 device in seven African markets this quarter as part of a partnership with Microsoft to drive up smartphone penetration on the continent. Currently in Africa, smartphones account for only about 10 percent of total phones in the market.

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This is just one of the themes being discussed at the 2013 Mobile Web East Africa Conference in Kenya. This promises to be a fascinating conference, exploring how mobile has changed the lives of African people, a subject we’re particularly interested in.

Global mobile ad revenue was $9.7bn in 2012, and will increase by 17.5% between 2012 and 2013, to reach $11.4bn. The Asia Pacific region continues to lead the world, with $4.3bn, 44% of revenue, made here in 2012. China and India will increasingly contribute to this.

M-Pesa mobile banking is used by 17m subscribers in Kenya and 9m in Tanzania in place of a traditional bank account. Users can access the m.fastjet.com site to book flights and then receive a unique booking number by SMS, with payments made via mobile to fastjet’s business number.

Just three months after the launch of the UK's first 4G network, Everything Everywhere (EE) has unveiled what it describes as "new price plan offers" to offer customers more choice.

Given all the headaches, why has mapping moved to the centre of some of the most contentious fights in tech, including Apple's escalating feud with Google? Mobile software competitors - Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Nokia, and a host of others -all share the same hunch that maps sit at the core of our digital future.

UK retailers experienced a surge in visits from mobile phones over the Christmas period, with traffic increasing by up to 100% between December 24 and 27.

The UK and US have now passed the 50% mark for smartphone penetration, making 2013 a very exciting year for those who are embracing mobile, and a challenging year for those who are not.

We thought for our next team competition challenge we’d get into the festive spirit, enjoy a Christmas lunch and try our hand at cocktail making.

Nearly two-thirds of mobile phone video usage happens at home, providing cross-media opportunities for marketers. 92% of consumers also share mobile video clips with others, allowing digital video advertising to go viral.

Technology advances, increased smart device penetration and new M:commerce opportunities means 2013 is going to be an interesting year for mobile. We give our view on what the top mobile trends will be in 2013.

We were very pleased to hear the UK Marketing Society decided to dedicate part of their annual conference to the potential of emerging markets for Western brands, a topic we have championed many times.

Mobile network Everything Everywhere is now offering 4G services in the UK. There is no doubt that faster Internet connection and data download speeds will increase the usability of the mobile Internet, but what does it mean for the mobile research industry?

Mobile phones are now the most common way for people to connect to the Internet in China and over 50% of new Internet users, were from rural areas.

Over a third of global mobile media users follow the English Premier League, and it's even more popular in South Africa and some of the Arab states, than in the UK.

Those interested in researching the increasingly wealthy group of consumers in BRIC nations, do not always have the luxury of choice when it comes to choosing a research methodology. Traditional techniques can be costly, timely and sometimes not even possible, which is why the vast uptake of relatively cheap mobile devices and access to the mobile Internet, provides an interesting alternative for the research industry.

Mobile expert Werner Egipsy Souza, is a keen enthusiast when it comes to mobile technology and how it can improve the quality of life for people living in India. From his experiences Souza tells On Device Research about the impact the mobile device has already had on people lives in India.

Senior Research Analyst Usman Shaik, talks to On Device Research about his perspective on conducting primary and secondary market research in his home territory India.

We’ve launched our young people’s consumer confidence index (YPCC) to help businesses understand what young people think about their current and future economic prospects, in developed and growth markets.

Mike Kirkham, the former CEO of TNS the global market research agency tells On Device Research why businesses looking to develop in emerging markets, should consider mobile as a research tool.

A recent BBC Radio 4 show “China’s New Iron Rice Bowl” is a fascinating view into the problems and challenges the new growing middle class and urban migrants have created for China. Here are the highlights…

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Binu Zachariah an experienced market researcher from India gives his view on India’s economy and the rise of the new consumer. Zachariah also highlights why market researchers cannot adopt a universal market research approach in India and how multi-national corporations are triggering change in the market research process.

While we love mobile market research it’s not the only thing we’re good at. Turns out three of us have ping pong tables at home while three more consider themselves "quite good" at it.

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Mobile mothers in the US are an increasingly important demographic for marketers. According to BSM media, U.S. mums control $2.4 trillion in household purchases every year and wield greater influence over most everyday buying decisions.

China’s industrial infrastructure has gone from backwater to high end in just 20 years. Economic growth has slowed, but don’t believe all the gloom and doom stories - most key sectors like energy, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, automotive, etc. continue their robust growth. Here are tips for conducting industrial market research in this huge but complex arena. Construction works in Huashi

Native Brazilian market researcher Isabel Pinto, talks about some of the considerations needed when conducting research in Brazil - the sixth-biggest economy in the world.

Africa is the fastest growing mobile market in the world after Asia, but their use extends far beyond just telephony. The power of the mobile is forging a new enterprise culture in Africa from banking, to agriculture and healthcare.

While everyone was getting excited about the potential of the BRIC nations, Africa quietly emerged as the real growth story. No other continent offers the same growth potential.

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How do you market research the world most populous country? China has a population of over 1.3 billion, area of 9.6 billion square kilometers, and over 20 cities with 1+ million inhabitants. Here are 8 tips that give some background info but also practical advice.

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The rebounding US economy, that focuses its exports from traditional OECD partners to new growth markets of China and Latin America, is a real lesson for Europe showing that instead of relying on local consumers to spend our way out of trouble has a much better alternative - growth markets.

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Over a third of the respondents we asked wouldn’t give up their mobile for a year, instead opting to give up sex, TV, eating out and drinking!

The frustration expressed on social networking sites about O2’s recent technology problems highlights just how integral mobile phones have become to our lives. In emerging markets the impact of technology has been even more profound. Money, cards and mobile phone

We’re just about ready for the Insight Show at Marketing Week Live! If you’re attending stop by at stand F115 and say hello, we have lots of new and exciting stuff to tell you about including our new Omnibus Survey and soon to be released Youth Consumer Confidence Index in Growth Markets. Hopefully we'll see you there!

We recently shared with you our 8 best practice principles for creating a successful mobile survey, with some examples of how you need to adapt things such as incentives for the market you’re researching. The guide was based on our experiences and another company willing to share their knowledge of international research is Synovate (now IPSOS) in their Tips for Conducting Market Research in Emerging Markets white paper.

With an impressive 70% viewing mobile ads as a personal invitation from brands rather than an invasion, it opens up new opportunities for brand advertisers to engage with their consumers.

When Opera Software wanted to understand trends in mobile-internet browsing, and the effect of the Opera mobile browser they turned to us, and together we surveyed over 34,000 users, in 22 countries, on four continents. Opera mobile browser user, young man

53% of mobile users in India, Kenya, Indonesia, Ghana and Nigeria have used m-banking and payments. It’s clear that limited access to formal banks in these growth and emerging markets, along with a high penetration of mobile devices, encourages mobile finance activities. M-pesa agent stall in Tanzania

In just over a year, we have delivered one million surveys across 53 countries. To mark the milestone, we’ve analysed our data and put together a mobile research bible, with best practice principles for creating a successful mobile survey. Crowd in the night. One million surveys in 53 countries.

Crowd in the night. One million surveys in 53 countries.

Recently we helped Outdoor Media Center to conduct detailed research to better understand 4 stages in the purchase journey. Although all media channels play an important role, outdoor is the most powerful driver of behaviour - especially in the buying phase.

With 5.9bn global mobile subscribers and an ever-increasing demand for web-enabled devices, the mobile has become a powerful advertising tool for brands. According to research by IAB mobile ad spend increased 157% in 2011 to a record £203.2m.

On any given day, mobile web users spend 27% of their media time on mobile, 22% on TV and 32% online. Availability, ease of use and privacy are the top three driving factors to be on mobile. mobile devices used-through-day

By the end of 2012 the number of mobile-connected devices will exceed the number of people on Earth. The revolution brings with it a new generation of mobile-only Internet users, who only access the internet through web enabled mobile devices. old chinese woman washing

The retail high stret is facing tough times - our research shows that 60% of respondents use their mobiles in-store to research products and prices before purchasing. How does it affect their decisions, how can stores interact with same consumers via their mobiles?

In our third free quarterly global consumer data report, (which we uniquely collect from respondents via their mobile phones) we sought to understand how consumers use the mobile web in conjunction with other media. Young man using mobile on couch, watching TV

Young man using mobile on couch, watching TV

The more people use the mobile internet, the more they love their mobile operator. The research shows that frequent mobile internet users are more satisfied with their mobile operator, compared to those who only occasionally use the internet on their mobile phone.

. . . .and in the UK/US

Recent research which we was conducted directly on the mobile internet, has revealed a new internet audience. More than 50% of Asian and African mobile internet users as well as more than 20% of users in developed markets, such as the UK and US do not use the internet on a PC. Mobile only internet users in emerging markets

Mobile only internet users in emerging markets

Each quarter On Device Research will release a free metrics report, summarising the highlights of recent client studies. The first one is titled: "The "mobile only" internet generation" and analyses a new breed of internet browser - people who use the mobile internet but not the desktop internet.

Last week On Device Research presented at Africa Com in Cape Town. We were working with our client Opera to help them understand how users of their browser differ from users of other browsers. The result were quite positive for them.

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