Mobile users are consuming Social Networking & News content, but Business & Finance yields the most revenue
Smartphone use in the Asia Pacific region continues to grow at a pace on par with the rest of the world, with page-view volume on mobile websites and apps approaching global averages, according to today’s APAC State of Mobile Advertising report from Opera Mediaworks in partnership with the Mobile Marketing Association. The findings in the report are based on Q2 2015 data from 400 million unique users on the Opera Mediaworks platform.
A standout sub-region of APAC: The Power 4
India, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines, countries which Opera refers to as the “P4” (Power 4) sub-region, has seen a dramatic 545% increase in smartphone adoption since 2013, making it one of the fastest growing sub-regions in the world.
Android captures majority market share
Mobile growth can largely be attributed to the rapid adoption of Android devices. In the second quarter, the Android operating system took the no. 1 position in market share of impressions served to mobile devices, accounting for more than 60% of traffic in APAC and approaching 70% in the P4 region.
High demand for mobile video
There is high demand for and rapid adoption of mobile video-ad units across the globe. Within the P4 region, the Philippines has the highest ratio of video-ad impressions served in its market and has exceeded the expected global standard (ratio of 1:1). Both India and Vietnam have exceeded the average across all of Asia (0.41:1).
“It’s an exciting time to be a mobile marketer in Asia Pacific right now. The region is predicted to have 2 billion smartphone users by 2019, and APAC’s mobile screen minute average is higher than global averages, thanks to the higher demand for mobile video,” says Vikas Gulati, Managing Director, Asia, Opera Mediaworks. “This is due in part to publishers creating more video-friendly environments and mobile audiences surpassing TV-like scale. Since growing our team in Asia, Opera Mediaworks is poised to meet the demands of mobile-video advertising in this region.”
Key highlights from the APAC SMA Q2 report
Data, page views and frequency of use:
- Data consumption in Vietnam is among the highest in the region, with each user in Vietnam using 85 MB per month – very close to the global average of 90 MB/month.
- The Philippines and Indonesia exceeding the global average by 4x in Q2.
- High-frequency users, or those who access mobile sites and apps five or more days each week, are common in Indonesia and Vietnam — even more than the global average.
Demographics and behavior of the average mobile users in the P4 region:
- Male users predominate across the region; in India, 9 out of 10 mobile users are male.
- P4 users are overwhelmingly young; the average user age in all four countries is under 24. In Vietnam, 50% are 19 years old or younger.
- The most visited mobile sites and apps are in the Social Networking category, consumption of which is led by the Philippines, which shows an extreme preference for this category, even compared to high global averages.
- India’s users are drawn to sites and apps that serve Music, Video, Media & Entertainment content, while Indonesians are consuming far more Business, Finance & Investing content than the rest of the world.
Revenue winners and emerging mobile ad formats:
- Business, Finance & Investing publishers fared well, accounting for a whopping 42% of revenue paid to mobile publishers across the P4 region.
- Communication Services is clearly differentiated in the P4 region compared to global performance; its impression volume and revenue generation is much higher than global averages by 4x for impressions and as much as 15x for revenue.
“Collaborating with members of the mobile marketing ecosystem has always been the key to building knowledge and capabilities amongst this the region’s marketers, and the MMA is very excited to partner with Opera Mediaworks on their State of the Mobile Advertising Report,” says Rohit Dadwal, Managing Director, Mobile Marketing Association APAC. “We believe marketers in Asia are best positioned to be leaders in global mobile innovation, building campaigns that harness the potential of the medium and the mobile audience. Opera’s stunning data proves that the future of mobile lies in Asia.”
To see the full report, follow this link
About Opera Mediaworks
Opera Mediaworks is the first mobile ad platform built for brands, delivering breakthrough marketing at scale. Our technology powers the biggest publishers in the world, enabling marketers to convey the highest quality ad experiences to more people in more places when it matters most. Our exclusive Instant-PlayTM HD video technology and award-winning rich media touches, engages and creates deep interaction with consumers in the most popular mobile apps and sites around the globe. We work with over 90% of the AdAge Top 100 advertisers and 18 of the top 25 global publishers. A fully-owned subsidiary of Opera Software, Opera Mediaworks is headquartered in San Mateo, California, with offices worldwide. To learn more, visit operamediaworks.com.
About the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA)
The MMA is the world’s leading global non-profit trade mobile marketing association comprised of more than 800 member companies, from nearly fifty countries around the world. Our members hail from every faction of the mobile marketing ecosystem including brand marketers, agencies, mobile technology platforms, media companies, operators and others. The MMA’s mission is to accelerate the transformation and innovation of marketing through mobile, driving business growth with closer and stronger consumer engagement. Anchoring the MMA’s mission are four core pillars; to cultivate inspiration by driving the innovation for the Chief Marketing Officer; to build the mobile marketing capabilities for the marketing organizations through fostering know how and confidence; to champion the effectiveness and impact of mobile through research providing tangible ROI measurement; and advocacy. Additionally MMA industry-wide committees work collaboratively to develop and advocate global best practices and lead standards development.
Mobile Marketing is broadly defined as including advertising, apps, messaging, mCommerce and CRM on all mobile devices including smart phones and tablets. Members include, American Express, AdChina, Colgate – Palmolive, Dunkin’ Brands, Facebook, Google, Group M, Hewlett Packard, Hilton Worldwide, Kellogg Co., L’Oréal, MasterCard, McDonalds, Microsoft, Mondelez International, Inc., Pandora Media, Procter & Gamble, R/GA, The Coca-Cola Company, The Weather Company, Unilever, Visa, Vodafone, Walmart, xAd, Zenith Optimedia and many more.
The MMA’s global headquarters are located in New York with regional operations in Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA), Latin American (LATAM) and Asia Pacific (APAC). For more information about the MMA please visit www.mmaglobal.com.
