2015-08 FUTURE OF DIGITAL CONSUMERISM IN ASIA

FUTURE OF
DIGITAL
CONSUMERISM
IN ASIA
Four powerful trends (opportunities!)
for brands in 2016 and beyond.
ASIA TREND BULLETIN
AUGUST 2015

WE ARE SOCIAL, MARCH 2015
Asia Pacific. Population: 4 billion. Mobile subscriptions:
3.7 billion. Active internet users: 1.4 billion.
DIGITAL CONSUMERISM IN ASIA 2www.trendwatching.com/trends/digital-consumerism-in-asia

Asia Pacific accounts for more than half
of the world’s smartphones today.
eMarketer, DeceMber 2014

SPARKLABS GLOBAL ASIA E-COMMERCE REPORT, FEBRUARY 2015
E-commerce sales in Asia Pacific are estimated to reach
USD 681 billion in 2015, rising to USD 1 trillion in 2017.
2015 2017
1000bn
500bn

870 tech startup delegates attended Tech
in Asia Singapore conference in 2012. The
number grew to 1,498 in 2015.
tech in asia, May 2015

Yes, technology is transforming Asian consumerism.
But you knew that already. But here’s the catch:
technology alone is NOT the point.

Not your wisdom, but that Jack Ma,
founder of Alibaba ;)
It’s not the technology
that changes the
world. It’s the dreams
behind the technology.
Yes, the numbers on digital tech in Asia are amazing.
But that’s precisely why it’s all too easy to get fixated
on the technologies and miss the real point. What
matters most is actually the supercharged lifestyles –
the dreams – that technology enables. Because in the
end, consumerism is still (and always will be) about
people and their fundamental needs and wants.
So if you came here thinking you’ll read about the
growth of wearables, the advent of smart cities, the
Internet of Things, and all the other widely-covered
tech trends, you’re going to be sorely disappointed.
You know about those trends already. But what can
you do with them?
In this Trend Bulletin, you’ll find four new tech-fueled
opportunities for you to innovate around. Learn,
adapt, innovate, find new ways to serve fundamental
needs... and profit!

Four tech-fueled
trends reshaping
Asian consumerism in
2016 and beyond.
1. ALL ON MESSAGING
Messaging platforms as a remote control for
day-to-day living.
2. DISCOVERY DIRECTORY
Directories for a new, fuzzier consumer arena.
3. BOTTOM OF THE (SMART) PYRAMID
BOP consumers meet cutting-edge digital tech.
4. DIGITAL DISCIPLINE
The pursuit of online/offline balance.

Turn the overwhelm into opportunity
2015 Consumer Trend Seminars
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1. ALL ON MESSAGING
Messaging apps become remote controls
for day-to-day living.

43% of web traffic in Asia comes through mobile.
Globally, that figure is just 33%.
43%
33%
Asia
Global

In fact, it’s probably time to stop calling
them ‘messaging’ apps ;)
Messaging app
ecosystems are
EXPANDING.
By Q1 2015, WeChat had 549 million active monthly
users. For LINE, that figure was 205 million. It’s little
wonder that mobile messaging apps are now the go-to
channels for brands to reach consumers.
On top of that, Asian consumers love digital
CRAMMING – having multiple features available in
one platform. Mobile apps like WeChat and LINE have
steadily built ecosystems of their own: in-app shopping
and flash deals, games, content, cute stickers (of
course!) and more.
But now, the consumer’s expectations are broadening
– they want to do more. Smart brands are responding
by using messaging apps not simply as shopping
and content channels, but to offer lifestyle solutions,
solve social issues, provide financial services, and
ultimately make individual and community life better.
So, are you ready for the messaging app as a remote
control for day-to-day living?
1. ALL ON MESSAGING

February 2015 saw LINE launch a USD
42 million fund to transform itself from
a messaging app to a “smartphone
gateway for your life”, packing lifestyle
solutions into one platform.

ALL ON MESSAGING: FEATURED INNOVATIONS
WeChat City Service
Shangai government and FoodPanda on
WeChat

Burberry
Grocery deliveries and Burberry on LINE

Delhi Police
Delhi Police Department and Homework
Gods on WhatsApp

1. ALL ON MESSAGING
NEXT?
This trend spells massive opportunity.
How to apply? Partner with the messaging
platform your target audience is already
using. Think about how you can make
familiar processes easier and faster, offer
content that’s genuinely new, or provide
useful new information. And yes, the same
thinking can be applied to other social
platforms, too. See how Kotak Mahindra
Bank launched a Twitter-based savings
account in India.

Directories for a new, fuzzier consumer arena.

The rise of online culture and e-commerce has blurred
the boundaries that previously defined the consumer
arena. That means all kinds of new products and
services, suppliers, and marketplaces, as well as the
ability to organize access to resources in new ways.
Exciting? Sure. But all that adds to the choice paralysis
that afflicts so many consumers today. Now, new
directories and platforms are springing up to help
consumers navigate the consumption-sphere in
2015: one filled with social media sellers, online local
tradesmen, parking spaces for hire, and much more.
That means better decisions, with minimum effort.
Luckily, a familiar breed of website can help.
P2P. Social shopping.
Suppliers in
unexpected places.
It’s a confusing world
out there.

DISCOVERY DIRECTORY: FEATURED INNOVATIONS
Oiffel, Kleora and Shopious
Online aggregators help consumers
discover Instagram shops in Indonesia

HandyHome and PageAdvisor
Online directories for domestic
home solutions

Parking Duck
Online marketplace helps drivers
find parking spaces

GottaGo
Mobile app lists nearby restrooms

NEXT?
Think about everyday painpoints where
consumers need information but do not
want to invest time and effort on the search
process. Create directories for the most
unlikely services, from public toilets and
parking spaces, then go one step further
and facilitate instant purchase!

3. BOTTOM OF THE
(SMART) PYRAMID
BOP consumers meet cutting-edge digital tech.

From 2014 to 2015, the number of internet
users in Cambodia and Myanmar grew by 414%
and 346% respectively.
Cambodia Myanmar
2014
2015

We constantly hear about Asia’s new, affluent, urban
middle class. But the fact remains that most countries
in the region are still developing.
Countries including the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia
and India all have internet speeds below the global
average, but users in these regions spend the most
time on the internet when compared to their Asian
counterparts (We Are Social, March 2015).
BOP engagement with tech is certainly not new
(feature phones!), but – in a time when even Ojeks
and rickshaws are getting a digital makeover –
expectations around technology are also rapidly
changing. Now, the Asian BOP are making use of
cutting-edge technologies that can solve shared
problems, make people safer, and improve quality of
life. Fishermen using satellite tech to locate the best
haul, anyone?
So when you’re thinking about tech innovations for
BOP consumers – think smart.
These markets are driving much of
Asia’s growth.
52% of the population
in the ASEAN markets
reside in rural areas.

BOTTOM OF THE (SMART) PYRAMID: FEATURED INNOVATIONS
Khushi
Smart necklace for kids keeps track
of vaccinations

mFish
Mobile app helps Indonesian
fishermen locate the best spots

The Escalator Project
Mall-generated electricity powers
rural Indian villages

PawnHero
Online pawn shop opens in the
Philippines

NEXT?
Can you use simple technology to create
meaningful innovations that solve real issues
in Asia’s emerging markets? Think about how
you can adapt your current offerings to suit
the local landscape.

Forget digital detox – it’s all about discipline.

TOKYO METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT, DECEMBER 2014
63% of Japanese parents worry that their kids
will become addicted to smartphones.
63%

Last November we wrote about DIGITAL DISCIPLINE,
highlighting how it will be one of the biggest topics in
consumerism this year. Since then, it’s edged ever-
closer to the mainstream.
Indeed, January 2015 saw the Taiwanese government
pass legislation obliging parents to limit the amount of
time their children spend on digital devices.
Of course, for most consumers switching off entirely
– even for a few days – just isn’t an option. So now,
innovative brands are helping consumers cultivate
healthier relationships with their digital devices,
instead of depriving them altogether.
But Asian digital addicts don’t want cold
turkey – they just want to manage their
habit ;)
Admitting you
have a problem is
the first step.

DIGITAL DISCIPLINE: FEATURED INNOVATIONS
Reebok
Subway game in encourages South Korean
commuters to look up from phones

McDonald’s India
Fast food chain encourages diners to
reconnect offline

Oppo
Smartphone brand tells Vietnamese dads
to put down phones

NEXT?
Think about innovative ways you can
help your consumers have a healthier
relationship with technology. Create
initiatives for consumers to fill their idle
time away from digital devices. Launch
campaigns that remind consumers to
be more digitally disciplined. Perks and
rewards can go a long way too ;)

IN CONCLUSION...

Four trends. Countless
opportunities.
Trends are useless, unless you think
about how to apply them. Now you have
your trend download, pick out the ideas
that resonate and start innovating! It’s
time to create your own trend-driven
innovations that will serve and delight
your Asian consumers in the age of digital
consumerism...

If you have any comments, suggestions
or questions then please do let us know.
Just email:
PAUL BACKMAN
Chief Client Officer
paul@trendwatching.com
ABOUT US
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2015-08 FUTURE OF DIGITAL CONSUMERISM IN ASIA

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2015-08 FUTURE OF DIGITAL CONSUMERISM IN ASIA