Here’s what’s happening in mobile around the world
Australian grocers focus on mobile over price war
Australian grocers are turning away from traditional marketing tactics in favour of targeting consumers on their mobile phones.
Instead of in-store promotions or price wars with competitors, retailers like Woolworths and Coles have shifted tactics to focus on convenience. Grocers are also increasing their mobile marketing ahead of the mass adoption of mobile payments in Australia; up to 70% of Australian consumers are soon expected to use mobile phones for payments, according to B&T.
And if they aren’t directly using phones or tablets to make purchases, Australians are likely using their gadgets to research groceries, says e-commerce expert Adrian Mullan. “While figures show a smaller percentage of people actually buying on their phones at the moment, the majority of people research products on their phones before making their purchases on their main computer,” he said.
Asia Pacific insurers told to get on mobile bandwagon
A new survey suggests that insurance providers in the Asia Pacific region should look to mobile for customer acquisition.
The survey, conducted by IDC Financial Insights, showed that 60% of insurance customers in the region use multiple interaction points when researching and purchasing insurance. Many use their phones to research insurance options, creating opportunities for insurance companies to reach consumers on mobile, according to IDC Asia/Pacific associate research director Li-May Chew.
“With mobile being one of the fastest-growing technologies and such devices becoming more commonplace and affordable in emerging countries like India and the Philippines vis-à-vis better Internet connectivity, insurers cannot choose to neglect the mobile distribution channel,” Li-May Chew said.
[Read more via Digital Market Asia]
More mobile phones than people in South Korea
The number of mobile phones in South Korea has eclipsed the country’s human population. There are now 52.55 million mobile phone users in the country of 50 million people, according AFP.
While South Korea has a booming mobile culture, the country was actually comparatively slow to adopt smartphones. Korean regulators did not approve the Apple iPhone until September 2008, meaning adoption of the iPhone and its competitors lagged behind that of the U.S. and other countries.
