SINGAPORE: November 13, 2012: The use of mobile devices to access social media is more prevalent in Asia Pacific than in any other region globally, according to a study released today by Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and insights into what consumers watch and buy.
Nielsen’s State of Social Media Report, based on a survey of global digital consumers, revealed that around three in five (59%) social media users in the Asia Pacific region interact with social media via a mobile device, 12 points higher than the global average of 47 percent and 11 points higher than the next closest region (Middle East, Africa & Pakistan, 48%). Mobile social media usage was particularly pronounced in Singapore and Indonesia (70% and 65% respectively). (See chart 1)
Smartphone ownership is higher in Asia Pacific than any other region in the world with more than two in five (44%) owning a smartphone, compared to less than one third in regions such as North America (31%) and Europe (30%). Ownership of smartphones in Asia Pacific has almost doubled (up from 25 percent) compared to the same quarter a year ago.
Close to half (47%) of Asia Pacific consumers interact with social media while watching TV, slightly higher than the global average (46%). Filipino respondents are the most likely to engage in this cross-platform behaviour (69%), followed by Hong Kong (62%) and Indonesia (59%). (See chart 2)
“Social media is the fastest growing media in history and today over three in five internet users globally use social media,” said Yasir Yousuff, NM Incite Managing Director, APMEA. “Use of social media by consumers in Asia Pacific is higher than any other region in the world and with increasing ownership and reliance on internet capable mobile devices, we will see an exponential increase in cross platform behaviour and mobile social media engagement.”
Using social media to keep in contact with family and friends and as a source of entertainment remain the top two reasons for social media participation. Engaging in social media to learn more about brands, products and services and to hear others’ experiences is also highly participated; around two thirds of social media users in Asia Pacific turn to social media to learn more about brands, products and services or hear about others’ positive or negative experiences at least once per week (66% and 65% respectively). Almost three in five (58%) social media users are actively seeking deals online such as monetary incentives, coupons and promotions. (See chart 3)
“Social media usage is evolving from being focused on personal updates to increasingly being used to access product and company information,” observes Yousuff. “Social networking and review sites provide companies with insights about consumers and their preferences and experiences that have never been accessible before. Not only can brands deliver messages and content to customers via this channel, but importantly they can tune in to conversations taking place on social platforms to better understand consumers’ wants, needs and demands.”
The Nielsen study also found that in the coming year social media will play a large role in influencing Asia Pacific consumers’ purchasing decisions; more than 50 percent of consumers in Asia Pacific who intend to purchase items such as home electronics, entertainment and cloths are likely to make a purchase based on social media websites / online product reviews. (See chart 4)
“With the increasing relevance and engagement levels of social media, we are now able to see a direct correlation between positive social media sentiment and actual intent to purchase products and services, especially for those operating in the home electronics, entertainment, and clothing and fashion sectors,” states Yousuff.
The Nielsen Global Survey of Digital’s Influence on Grocery Shopping was conducted February 10-27, 2012 and polled more than 28,000 online consumers in 56 countries throughout Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and North America. The sample has quotas based on age and sex for each country based on their Internet users, and is weighted to be representative of Internet consumers and has a maximum margin of error of ±0.6%. This Nielsen survey is based on the behavior of respondents with online access only. Internet penetration rates vary by country. Nielsen uses a minimum reporting standard of 60 percent Internet penetration or 10M online population for survey inclusion. The Nielsen Global Survey was established in 2005.
Nielsen Holdings N.V. (NYSE: NLSN) is a global information and measurement company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement,
online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and related properties. Nielsen has a presence in approximately 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA and Diemen, the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.
Jackie Helliker, +61 403 074 864, [email protected]