TNS Reveals Big Opportunities for Business
For many people around the world, the mobile phone has become the primary way that they get online. It is the most personal, most multi-dimensional device we own and the only one we never leave home without. No other digital device or traditional mass media outlet can come close to creating the same opportunities for brands.
TNS reveals big opportunities for business as location-based services are poised to go mainstream
Location-based services (LBS) have topped the global league as the mobile feature set to grow the most, after world leading insights consultancy TNS revealed over 60 per cent of those that don’t yet use the service globally want to start using them. This is of even greater interest in Kenya where this rises to 74% per cent.
TNS’s annual Mobile Life study – which explores mobile use among 48,000 people in 58 countries – shows the majority of people around the world now recognise the value of sharing their location to benefit from a range of services.
The key findings, released on Tuesday as a set of interactive visualisations (available at www.tnsglobal.com/mobilelife) show that the services and apps people use vary considerably from region to region.
Location-based services move into the mainstream.
Almost one fifth (19 per cent) of the world’s six billion mobile users are already using LBS, with more than three times this number (62 per cent) of people globally are aspiring to use LBS. In Kenya, only 8% currently use but a huge 74 per cent would like to.
LBS users are increasingly using services to enrich their social lives, with one in five (26 per cent) using it to find their friends nearby and 12% ‘checking in’ through platforms like Foursquare or Facebook places.
Savvy LBS users have realised that there is something to be gained from sharing their locations with brands and retailers – with one in five (20 per cent) in Kenya sharing their location in exchange for a deal or special offer. Nearly half of mobile users (47 per cent) stated that they would find mobile advertising interesting if it is offered them a deal near their current location.
Bob Burgoyne, Associate Director, Research & Insights at TNS, explains: “We are really starting to see the emerging potential of location based services. People are realising that sharing their location could offer some kind of reward in terms of a discount or deal. It is the combination of time and context – directing people towards a deal when they can easily redeem it – that unlocks a powerful tool for marketers to develop precise targeting approaches. As smartphone ownership continues to grow in Kenya, it remains to be seen which companies will be capitalising on this opportunity.”
About Mobile Life
Now in its seventh year, Mobile Life is the most comprehensive view of how the world’s consumers are using their phones today and the opportunities this presents for brands. A set of interactive data visualisations exploring the current – and potential future – use of a range of apps and services is available at www.tnsglobal.com/mobilelife.
Based on 48,000 conversations in 58 countries, Mobile Life is designed to capture the entire population of mobile users in each market and includes: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cote D’Ivoire, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, Uganda, UK, Ukraine, USA, Vietnam.
About TNS
TNS advises clients on specific growth strategies around new market entry, innovation, brand switching and stakeholder management, based on long-established expertise and market-leading solutions. With a presence in over 80 countries, TNS has more conversations with the world’s consumers than anyone else and understands individual human behaviours and attitudes across every cultural, economic and political region of the world.
TNS is part of Kantar, one of the world's largest insight, information and consultancy groups.
Please visit www.tnsglobal.com for more information.
About Kantar
Kantar is one of the world's largest insight, information and consultancy groups. By uniting the diverse talents of its 13 specialist companies, the group aims to become the pre-eminent provider of compelling and inspirational insights for the global business community. Its 28,500 employees work across 100 countries and across the whole spectrum of research and consultancy disciplines, enabling the group to offer clients business insights at each and every point of the consumer cycle. The group’s services are employed by over half of the Fortune Top 500 companies.
For further information, please visit us at www.kantar.com
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