Asia’s mobile market looks upbeat

Asia’s mobile market is poised for growth. As competition intensifies, brands are increasingly customizing their approaches to the unique needs of the Asian mobile customer. Spire Research and Consulting shared insights on key trends in Asia’s vast mobile market, published on the US Consumer Electronics Association’s blog.

Global mobile technology brands are excited about the 85% mobile phone penetration in vast countries like India, China and Indonesia. At the same time, there are still over 400 million people in Asia who do not have a mobile phone, which suggests plenty of room to grow. What will set top brands apart? Three brands are taking the competition to a whole new level in the region and here is how:

Xiaomi is a popular Chinese brand which has made headway into the Indian market with its recent fourth flash sale – marking a record 11,500 mobile phone units sold per second! Xiaomi’s popularity stems from its low price points ranging between USD200 and USD300, combined with high power specifications. The trick Xiaomi uses is the “wave strategy” – selling out a limited supply over multiple waves.

Obi is the brainchild of former PepsiCo/Apple CEO John Sculley. It aims to capture the Indian market with specific focus on those aged 16 to 35. It practices aggressive price competition, evident from the launch of its flagship 8-core handset, Octopus S520 for just under USD200 in India. Moreover, not ones to neglect local partnerships, Obi’s recent deal with Jumbo Electronics – a leading IT distributor – will further expand Obi products into Africa and the Middle East.

Blackberry is still a force to be reckoned with in Indonesia, though more in the app space than the hardware space these days. The BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) maintains the top spot for iPhone apps in all of Indonesia and, interestingly enough, Nigeria. Blackberry is seeking more opportunities to expand into the software side of the business with enhancements that include BBM Money for making day-to-day payments, as it faces stiff competition from hardware vendors like Samsung.

These stand-out players have reminded us of the value of competitive differentiators like investing early and heavily in the market, low price points and creative apps to lure customers.

https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/media/asias-mobile-market-looks-upbeat/

Comments

India ranks among the world’s top compact SUV markets!

India overtook Japan in 2017 as the third largest manufacturer of compact SUVs. Big players such as Renault, Mahindra & Mahindra, Ford Motor, Hyundai Motor, Maruti Suzuki and other SUV manufacturers sold 457,698 compact SUVs in 2017 – over four times the unit sales in 2015, at 107,634. While 2016 saw shrinking sales for this vehicle category in China and the USA, sales in India grew nearly 50% from 307,365 units in 2016. Will India overtake China as the world’s largest compact SUV market? For more information, click here.

Asian consumers embrace local brands

With growing regional integration and rising incomes, more Asian consumers are choosing Asian brands against foreign brands. Xiaomi, an Asian brand, outsold Apple in China in 2014 for the first time. Brunei based brand – Brunei Halal – recently opened stores in Malaysia targeting its Muslim population. The Indian government’s knowledge website initiative – known as Vikaspedia and offering content in 22 different local languages – is gaining ground. Taobao, Air Asia, Alipay, Huawei, Siam Cement, San Miguel, Tiger Beer and Indofood are other Asian brands that are on the march. They all hail from countries other than Japan, Korea and Taiwan, the traditional sources of Asian brands. Will more Asian brands take the leap to become global brands as the top Japanese and Korean brands have become? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/asian-consumers-embrace-local-brands/

Spire joins AmCham Corporate Community Day for seventh consecutive year

Spire Singapore collaborated with the Singapore Children’s Society for the fourth consecutive year, in support of AmCham Singapore’s Corporate Community Day (CCD) 2014. This is the seventh year in which Spire has been participating in the CCD program, which aims to promote corporate volunteerism. Spire Singapore took beneficiaries of the Singapore Children’s Society to a pizza making session. The children were thrilled by their new-found ability to make their own edible creations. They enjoyed the morning while at the same time picking up a useful and confidence-building skill, not to mention many fun facts about the history of pizza. We were honored by the visit of Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy Blair Hall, who joined us with his wife Valerie. Valerie joined in the pizza making session. Blair and his team interacted with the beneficiaries as well as the staff and volunteers of Spire Singapore and the Singapore Children’s Society. The enthusiasm did not di...

Chocolate scent to increase book sales

Retailers might just use chocolate scent to induce shoppers to linger on in their bookstores to boost sales. Researchers in Belgium discovered that potential customers are more likely to end up with purchases if the store is filled with the scent of chocolate. Such pleasant scents can improve the store environment and lead the customers to explore stores more; often resulting in purchases. Marketers could strategize by exploring different scents to lure customers. The scents used should correspond to the products on sale for more impact. For instance, a surf shop can consider having the scent of the salty smell of the sea to provide its customers a whole new shopping experience. Which scent are you most drawn to?

Zapping away viruses

A new germ-zapping robot manufactured by Xenex in the U.S. could emerge as a saviour against deadly viruses like Ebola. It uses pulses of high-intensity, high-energy ultra-violet rays to crack bacterial cell walls and kill virus-afflicting pathogens. It has been successfully tested on 22 different microorganisms – destroying viruses similar to Ebola. Standing at 5 feet and bearing the nickname “Saul”, the ultra-violet rays it emits are 25,000 times brighter than fluorescent lights and can kill pathogens that are generally missed by the naked eye. A few surgical teams in the United States have been trained to use this technology on Ebola patients. According to research, hospitals with access to this technology have been able to bring down general infection rates by 60%. It is already being used in 250 hospitals. Can such technology breakthroughs arrest global pandemics in the 21st century? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/zapping-away-viruses/

The Knowledge to Decide

Search This Blog