Point 1: Smart Phone Ecosystem is here to stay!
I remember the days when we were internally still defining the word Smartphone and the word ‘app’ was hardly used in the industry. This was 2007. The penetration of smart phones has exploded since then; and now if it seems no brainer that this technology is going to follow the similar trajectory as the digital camera disrupting the feature phones. Around 43% of US consumers have smart phones and growing at a rapid pace. Furthermore, Apple iPhone really created a whole new market around smart phone applications by providing a path to monetization. In the industry of race for eyeballs/# of hits/page views/unique visitors/beta users/users/ downloads; revenues came much more quickly to the app industry. App economy as of now is at least ~ $5B!
I remember the days when we were internally still defining the word Smartphone and the word ‘app’ was hardly used in the industry. This was 2007. The penetration of smart phones has exploded since then; and now if it seems no brainer that this technology is going to follow the similar trajectory as the digital camera disrupting the feature phones. Around 43% of US consumers have smart phones and growing at a rapid pace. Furthermore, Apple iPhone really created a whole new market around smart phone applications by providing a path to monetization. In the industry of race for eyeballs/# of hits/page views/unique visitors/beta users/users/ downloads; revenues came much more quickly to the app industry. App economy as of now is at least ~ $5B!
Point
2: Device has become personal & is a good proxy for our actions and intent
If you look at the number of minutes an
individual spends over a smart phone- that number has been increasing at a
rapid pace. Recent studies show that average smart phone usage has gone over30% compared to 2010. In addition, consumers are now spending more and more time
using apps. But what strikes me the most is that the mobile usage for
information is specifically linked to actions. More than 90% of search done
over phone results in a specific action- whether it is calling a particular
business phone, booking/buying online or actually using directions. We believe
that such behaviour gives enormous opportunities to do better and more
insightful research.
 |
| The Mobile Movement Study (2011)- Google |
Point
3: Possibilities for contextual research and capturing the user in the moment
In-context research has never been
possible in such a manner. The ubiquity of smart phones and it’s rich
engagement mechanisms really provide a conduit for better research. Recency of
the action from the consumer virtually removes any non-recall bias (It is much more
effective to ask a respondent what she thought of the service just after she gets
one vs. inviting her in a study at a later point in time). Some might argue
that smart phone is the next best mechanism to in-person research. However, the
nature and manner of serving questions over the phone is challenging and
requires deep understanding of not only the user behaviour but also the content
(entertainment app, utility app, web browsing..) environment. We at ShubMob are
working hard to optimise these varying parameters and presenting research in a
manner that is non-intrusive, in-fact welcome to the user and deriving insights
that are fresh and relevant for the brands.
