The Knowledge to Decide

Has China’s smartphone market reached its saturation point? As more consumers switch to touchscreen smartphones, growth in the market is becoming upgrade-oriented. Shipment volumes to China fell by 4% during the first quarter of 2015 with a total of 98.8 million devices shipped – the lowest in six years. This drop reflects the changing nature of the country’s smartphone market – most consumers already own a smartphone and will switch only if there is an upgrade. Industry players now rely on tech-savvy consumers who hit the stores right after an upgrade is launched. They must now focus on innovative ways of locking in their consumer pool to maintain sales figures. Will China’s smartphone market bounce back? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/chinas-smartphone-market-reaches-saturation-mode/

As foreign tourism booms in Cambodia, foreign-built resorts are on the rise due to amendments to the foreign ownership law that make provisions of up to 70% foreign ownership. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Cambodia ranks sixth among 184 countries in terms of long-term tourism growth in the period from 2014 to 2024. Cambodia’s attractions include its world-class archaeological sites, beautiful islands, long coastline and indulgence in gambling – an activity often prohibited in neighbouring countries. International tourist arrivals in Cambodia grew by 4.2% (year-on-year) as of August 2014. Foreign investors in Cambodia mainly hail from China, Singapore, Japan and Thailand. New resorts and boutique hotels in Cambodia offer tourists a high standard of accommodation, allowing Cambodia to compete directly with other established tourist destinations. Is Cambodia destined to be the next tourism hotspot? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/s

Indonesia has emerged as an attractive healthcare market. The industry has surged by 300% since 2005, with national healthcare expenditure reaching USD26 billion in 2014. Recognizing the investment potential, the South East Asia (SEA) Hospital Expansion Summit 2015 gathered industry leaders and government officials to discuss opportunities and challenges in this sector. Jeffrey Bahar, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Spire Research and Consulting group, was invited as a guest speaker at the South East Asia Hospital Expansion Summit 2015. In his presentation, Bahar gave a brief overview of Indonesia’s healthcare sector, focusing on investment prospects for private firms. Bahar mentioned that in 2012, Indonesians spent around USD11.5 billion (yearly) for healthcare services abroad. Wealthy Indonesians still opt for medical treatment overseas to treat complicated conditions, preferring medical tourism destinations like India, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. To promote

Indonesia boasts 90 million internet users with online retail sales of USD2.6 billion in 2014. The e-commerce boom has fed robust growth in express courier services. Recognizing this trend, the Indonesia Supply Chain & Logistics Summit 2015 gathered industry leaders and government officials to discuss key industry trends, opportunities and challenges. Jeffrey Bahar, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Spire Research and Consulting group, was invited as a guest speaker at the Supply Chain & Logistics Summit 2015. In his presentation, Bahar highlighted Indonesia’s booming e-commerce industry, focusing on the surge in the express courier services market. Bahar mentioned that outsourced/contract logistics services in Indonesia are worth approximately USD29 billion, with more than 2,500 players in 2015. The industry is supported by growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and domestic consumption. At the same time, Indonesia’s e-commerce market continues to shine. A po

To commemorate World Autism Awareness Day, Spire released its pro-bono study focusing on Indonesia’s autistic children, working in collaboration with Rumah Autis (Home for the Autistic) – an Indonesian NGO that provides therapy and raises awareness about autistic children. The first-of-its-kind autism mapping project highlighted the rising number of autism cases in children. These findings were published in The Jakarta Post – a prominent Indonesian online news portal. Autism – a complex developmental disorder – is on the rise in Indonesia. As more children are diagnosed with this condition, Indonesia needs to provide more affordable therapy centres and schools. According to the findings of the study, over 139,000 children (under the age of 17) suffer from this condition – with 25,000 children in West Java alone. These children often do not receive adequate medical attention due to the uneven distribution of therapists and high costs. The findings reveal that each child with A

With Automotive Aftermarket demand expected to soar at 13% from 2010 to 2018, how can industry players cash in on this market opportunity? Japnit Singh, Senior Director, Singapore and India of Spire Research and Consulting shared his insights in the Lube Report Asia magazine. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in the automotive industry are operating in highly competitive markets. In most countries, they are fighting for market share via promotions and heavy price discounts. OEMs are always on the look-out for new income streams. It is in this context that industry players and manufacturers in Indonesia and Malaysia have been zeroing in on the lubricant oil market. Singh highlighted that post-sales services – inclusive of oil change and regular maintenance check – generate higher profit margins than vehicle sales. The current low oil prices have encouraged motorists to use their cars more often – raising demand for aftermarket services and parts, including lubricant oil.

Japanese women are increasingly pursuing professional aspirations but are being held back by rigid social norms that discourage mothers from working. However, as Japan realizes the important contribution that women can make to employment and innovation, social norms may be slowly changing. Is there a pathway to gender parity in Japan’s workplace? Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his thoughts on Huffington Post, Japan – a globally acclaimed news portal. Only 10% of senior managerial positions are occupied by women, which is low when compared to comparable figures for the United States (42%) and France (38%). As in many other countries, women in Japan are often made to choose between their professional and personal lives in a way that men are not. Work-life balance is hard to sustain when they single-handedly take care of household responsibilities. Perera opined that Japan needs to overcome its societal norms about gender so as to b

Singapore’s online retail market grew from SGD717 million in 2010 to about SGD1.08 billion in 2014, and is projected to reach SGD2.06 billion by 2019. Will traditional retailers change their business strategies in response? Japnit Singh, Senior Director of Spire Research and Consulting, Singapore and India, shared his insights on Channel News Asia – Today Online. As online retail continues to record increasing sales in Singapore, traditional retailers are struggling to keep up with the fierce competition. As the retail sector is a major component of Singapore’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), this results in money and tax revenue flowing out of the Republic, since e-commerce is dominated by overseas merchants. Many Singaporeans now prefer online shopping. Singh highlighted that out of the estimated SGD4.5 billion generated in the e-commerce space, 55% involves cross-border transactions. The obvious benefits include Goods and Services Tax (GST) savings as well as lower prices, b

Spire Singapore hosted its first Client Entertainment Night of the year. Our business associates and partners joined us for a dinner reception followed by the movie screening of “Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron.” The event was held at Cathay Cineleisure Orchard. It was an opportunity for everyone to loosen up and take a break from the humdrum of regular work. A comic book adaptation based on the Marvel Comics superhero team – The Avengers – enthralled our guests, taking them into an action-packed adventure ride. A sequel to the 2012’s The Avengers, this version shows how the Avengers must work as a team to defeat Ultron – a mechanical artificial intelligence determined to eradicate the human race. The much-awaited blockbuster and good food proved to be a great evening enjoyed by all. https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/events/spire-client-entertainment-night-april-2015/

Spire Research and Consulting celebrated its 15th anniversary in April at The Imperial Hotel in Hua Hin, Thailand. The celebration of 15 years of success brought together all employees across 9 countries. Established in 2000, Spire’s network now spans 9 country offices and 30 countries with a Spire research footprint, bringing the highest standards of project conceptualization, execution and delivery to each project. To commemorate 15 years in the research and consulting industry, all employees were welcomed with a gala dinner on the first night – all decked up in their native attire. The subsequent two days continued with group sessions on learnings, sharings by leaders and fun-filled activities to lighten the mood and build bonds – all amidst the sea-side calm of Hua Hin’s beautiful beach. It was a memorable experience shared by many and infused with the hope of celebrating many more wins! https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/events/spire-celebrates-its-15th-

The new kid on the block for digital currency – Bitcoin – is being widely used for electronic transactions across emerging markets. The rate of adoption is so fast that the number of merchants accepting bitcoin is growing close to 10% a day worldwide. For emerging markets such as Kenya, Bitcoin comes as a blessing, since PayPal is absent and Bitcoin charges only a nominal fee for money transfers (one per cent or less of the amount being transferred). Industry players from emerging markets also stand to benefit from the Bitcoin ecosystem expansion. For instance, Bitcoin China (BTC) – one of the world’s largest digital exchanges – raised USD5 million through funding from venture capitalists in November 2013. Will Bitcoin become the alternate currency for consumers worldwide? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/bitcoin-builds-momentum-in-emerging-markets/

How would you like to eat delicious fried food which contains less oil, calories and cholesterol? Oil-free air fryers offer this prospect – and are taking the cook-ware market by storm. For instance, Royal Philips – a consumer electronics company –launched the Philips Air fryer in 2012. It is an innovative kitchen appliance that enables consumers to prepare a variety of meals in a healthier way. It is now available in more than 100 countries. Moreover, it accounts for almost 50% of the global market for ‘light’ fryers – which confirms it as the number one low-fat fryer brand. The latest innovation in this field is the eco-stove. The stove operates on an internal air system that heats up the rocks to provide heat for cooking. It works by rapid circulation of hot air around the food – cooking it in a similar fashion to oil. At the same time, the solar panels charge up and provide more heat for the stove. Many companies are now venturing into this product category. For

No marketer wants their brand message to be out of sight and out of mind. But with multiple media platforms and so many upstart brands crowding alongside old, established ones, what elements work best to ensure successful brand recall? And how important is recall as a factor in a brand’s success? Though brand recall is deemed to be one of the most important factors influencing buying decisions, recall alone is not enough for brands to soar. Marketers need to ensure that there is a strong linkage between the advertisement and the brand, so that consumers can connect to the specific brand of a product, rather than the generic product category. The importance of brand recall A high brand recall would indicate that the product is easily recognizable. It is more than about recalling the name. It is about connecting the name with the message. For instance, one would relate Disney with “fun, family entertainment”, Nike with “authentic athletic performance”, and Starbucks wit