When it comes to having your finger on thepulse of the digital economy, few people come close to the expertise of MaryMeeker. Meeker is more than just a thought leader in her field, she’s an absolutepowerhouse of influence, regularly rubbing shoulders with such luminaries asAngela Merkle and Melinda Gates on the Forbes Most Powerful Women List. Assuch, Meeker’s annual Internet Trends Report is a must-read for anyoneinterested in where the digital industry is headed.
Meeker’s 2019 report doesn’t disappoint.Her insight goes deep and comes complete with a 333 slide deck PowerPointpresentation. It’s quite a feat to get through it — so we’ve decided to pickout some of Meeker’s most relevant smartphone-related trends.
If you are looking for the full picture(and have a couple of hours to spare), check Meeker’s complete 2019 slides deck here.
IncredibleGrowth Opportunities in India and China
Global Internet penetration currentlystands at around 51% of the world's population. While there are very few peoplethe Internet hasn't reached in mature markets like the US and Europe, half theworld still hasn't enjoyed the benefits of online life.
The vast majority of these soon to beonline populations will access Internet services primarily via theirsmartphones, bypassing more expensive and less mobile PC devices.
This means there is a huge opportunity yetto be tapped in a number of emerging economies. While there is incredible scalein countries like Brazil and Mexico, it is the Chinese and Indian markets thatoffer the biggest growth potential.
While China and Indiacurrently account for a third (1.2 billion) of the world’s onlinepopulation (3.6 billion), Internet penetration still has a long way to gobefore it reaches the levels enjoyed in economies like the United States orEurope.
Penetration rates in India are particularlylow with only 34 percent of the population having access to the Internet. Thismeans that nearly one billion people on the Indian sub-continent alone have yetto enjoy the delights of Facebook, Gmail or CandyCrush.
With this in mind, we can expect to seesome significant changes to some of Mary's slides in the coming years.Currently, only three of the top 30 companies by market capitalization areChinese and there are no Indian firms currently ranked in the list. As theChinese and Indian markets continue to evolve, will the dominant US-basedcorporations (there are currently 23 in the list) be able to hold onto theposition or be squeezed out by local companies who perhaps better understandthe new global market?
Further Reading: BRICS: A Smart Future Built on Affordable Devices
DualScreening – TV Party
Television and mobile are now on equalfooting with regards to both time spent on the medium and marketing spenddedicated to the channels.
But TV and mobile aren’t just competitivemedia, they are converging channels.
Meeker highlights the facts that 88% ofpeople who watch TV are using a second digital device at the same time with 71%of TV viewers searching for content relevant to the programs they are watching.
Mobile has also made TV a more socialenvironment with 41% of TV viewers using social media and email to messagefriends and family about the content they are viewing.
This represents a huge opportunity for TVproduction companies to drive additional engagement and commercialopportunities via a second screen. In fact, you could argue that TV and mobilearen’t actually competitive channels but convergent channels.
FurtherReading: Willthe Smartphone Change the Shape of TV?
TheRise of the Super App
Meeker is also keen to highlight the riseof the Super App. Apps used to reveal in their singular use functionality –whatever you want to do, there is an app for that. The thought behind this wassimple – it's better to concentrate on doing one thing well than to offer yourconsumers an unfocused and confusing product.
By focusing on a single service, appdevelopers were able to build a user-base and generate trust in their brand. Sowhere does an app developer go after they have become a leader in theirparticular niche?
Well Uber, the lift sharing app, gotinvolved in food delivery, freight and eBikes – and their aspirations to be amajor driver of the autonomous vehicle industry. Essentially they have becomethe go-to app for anyone on the go.
But if you really want a great example of asuper-sized app, you need to look at the Chinese market.
Alipay has evolved from a simple paymentapp to super-app granting access to more than 200,000 mini services from asingle platform. Essentially, Alipay allows smartphone users to bypass theGoogle Play Store. If you have this app on your smartphone, the chances are youwill never need to download another app again (and remember most smartphoneusers don’t download new apps to their devices).
This makes it incredibly important for appdevelopers to look for alternative routes to market beyond the traditional appstore avenue. This alone is a huge argument for the benefits of pre-loading.You can either get into bed with the super-apps and give away a significantamount of control and income to a third-party business, or you can compete withthem on a level playing field.
FurtherReading: DigitalTurbine’s Secret Sauce: Reaching New Users at Scale
GoDeep
Meeker’s deep dive into all things digitalis a fascinating read and we’re pleased to see many of her insights reflect ouropinions on the changing face of the global economy. The future is mobile andthe opportunity is even bigger than you could possibly imagine.
To learn how Digital Turbine can help youdeliver the right app to the right person at the right time, talk to one of ourapp marketing experts today.
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