Jon Russell

Jul 11

Japanese mobile content market growth: 2004-2009

Social gaming, virtual goods and other mobile-centric trends are driving this highly developed marketplace.

Filed under // Japan mobile mobile social networking social gaming social networking virtual currency

Jan 8

Japan: The Model For Mobile Social Networking

This excellent Fresh Networks post on mobile social networking shows a model which Thailand can aspire to replicate, albeit in smaller proportions. With nearly three quarters of those surveyed accessing via mobile, social networking in Japan is about as mobile as it is possible to be.

Three-quarters of Japanese social network users access the sites only from their mobile phones.

This observation comes from a survey conducted last year with almost 4,000 social network users in Japan by Mobile Marketing Data Labo. They found that 75.4% of respondents only accessed social networking sites from their mobile phone (and not from their PC). The number only accessing it from their PC (and not their mobile phone) was very low at just 2%.

This is a reflection on the mobile nature of the internet in Japan where 3G penetration stands at 95% of the market and 85% of customers have a data plan added to their contract. This is a much more developed mobile market than we see in Europe or North America and their use of mobile online services is world-leading.

These an other insights into the Japanese mobile social networking market is found in the great presentation below from Alexei Poliakov.

There is much that we can all learn from looking at the use of mobile internet, and the way it has influenced social networks in Japan. Whilst in other markets the growth in social networks sees a growth the likes of Twitter and Facebook, in Japan, homegrown social networks dominate. This is, in part, a result of the English-centric focus of these sites, at least initially. But also mobile social networking leads to a different type of site and different uses by consumers. In Japan, mixi and Mobage-town and Gree are incredibly successful social networks. Mixi has a reported 17 million users in Japan, compared with 1.4 million Facebook users and about half a million Japanese people on Twitter.

These social networks are very different in two main ways:

They put gaming either central to or highly within the user experience. Facebook and Twitter tend to be about content exchange or organisation whereas the Japanese social networks have a strong gaming element that attracts and connects users.

Premium content is often paid-for. Mixi, in particular, provides premium content and features at a fee to users and this is easily done by adding it to their mobile bill. (This trend explained the rumours that Twitter would charge for access in Japan)

Whilst it is unlikely that other markets will necessarily develop in the same way, it is interesting to see how these sites work and operate in Japan. An increasing penetration of 3G access and data-plan adoption in Europe, and the US, will see more and more people using their mobile as a major access point to the internet in 2010. And with social networking sites from Facebook to Twitter becoming more mobile friendly (such as the launch of push notifications on the iPhone from the Facebook app this week in the UK) it is likely that use of social networks from mobile devices will increase this year.

So we should learn more about what is happening in the more developed mobile markets like Japan. Whether it is simple things – such as brands allowing customers to complete a whole journey (from social networking site to purchased item) on convenient mobile platforms. Or more complex things – such as the adoption of paid-for add-ons to the mobile social networking experience. There is a lot for us to observe and a lot we should experiment with.

via blog.freshnetworks.com

Japan Mobile SNS Study 2010

View more presentations from Alexei Poliakov.

Filed under // FreshNetworks Alexei Poliakov Japan Mobile Marketing Data Labo mobile social networking

Jan 8

Mobile Social Networking's Big Potential In Thailand

Here's a piece from the Director Thailand blog on the potential of mobile social networking in Thailand during 2010.

2010 is here and rather than review the year we’d prefer to launch straight into mobile social networking, a technology which could break through and have a major influence on Thailand and its businesses this year.

Just to be clear, we are not advocating that mobile social networking will grip every mobile phone owner across Thailand but, in a world where western markets set digital trends, social networking has the potential emerge as a major force in a similar way to Twitter’s rise over the last 3-6 months.

Key to the development is users’ points of access - in this case smartphones such as the iPhone, BlackBerry, high-end Nokia or others. The demand for such devices is rapidly growing in Thailand as the media has recently commented.

Here is an excerpt from a recent article in The Nation:

“Thailand's smart-phone market is expected to grow to sales of 400,000 units in 2009, or about 35 per cent more than the 320,000 sold last year, according to market intelligence firm International Data Corporation (IDC) Thailand.

The local smart-phone market still has a lot of room for growth. About 20,000 units are currently being sold per month, while total mobile-phone sales are around 700,000 to 800,000 per month. But the market for traditional mobile phones is showing flat growth, and is likely to fall further.”

To read the rest click here.

Filed under // BlackBerry Director Thailand IDC The Nation bangkok post iPhone mobile social networking smartphones social media Thailand

Jan 5

Facebook & Twitter Statistics For Thailand [Via AIS]

Recently stumbled upon a number of interesting statistics from Thai operator AIS from a press release announced back in early December (2009).

The reliability of the stats is questionable as there is neither a source nor a reference. Social media user data is notorious difficult to find per country, particularly for smaller markets like Thailand.

However according to AIS

There are about 1.34 million Facebook members in Thailand with over 5 million viewers.

Regarding Twitter, there are 600,000 members with over 1.2 million followers.

There are over 6 million AIS Mobile Internet users at present.

There are about 100,000 users of Facebook on mobile phones.

There are about 30,000 users of Twitter on mobile phones.

The user statistics do not seem too drastic although it is not 100% clear what Facebook's "over 5 million viewers" refers to and the mention of "over 1.2 million followers" for Facebook in Thailand is also unclear.

Using the AIS statistics the following is true:

** 7.5% of Facebook users in Thailand actively update through their mobile phone compared to 5% of Twitter users

** Facebook membership in Thailand grew by 15% September through November [or which ever time AIS statistics date from - stats 1,160,980 in Jan 2009 to 1,340,000 - see here for more)

** More than 5% of Twitter users in Thailand took part in the recent Tweeple Talk Thai-language Twitter event (with an estimated 30,000-40,000 in attendance)

More light on this is definitely required.

Filed under // AIS Facebook Twitter mobile internet mobile social networking social media Thailand social networking

Dec 28

Mobile Social Networking Comes To Lao...Almost

Yozzo, a Bangkok-based mobile content firm launched in Lao last week in partnership with the country's third largest mobile operator calling the service "mobile social networking".

The Thai software developer company, Yozzo Co.,Ltd and mobile operator, Tigo Lao Millicom, has launched the first Mobile Social Community in Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Bangkok, Thailand, December 25, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Yozzo Co., Ltd, provider of the Mobile Social Network and Mobile Content Platform "Yozzo" has launched the service in Laos, together with the popular Laotian mobile operator, Tigo Millicom Lao.
“We are very proud and excited to expand our reach in Southeast Asia by launching in Laos," says Allan T. Rasmussen, Managing Director of Yozzo Co., Ltd. "We hope the community can help to bring a positive social impact in the daily life of the Lao user."
Yozzo is a combination of a social networking platform paired with a mobile content sharing portal, users can use their mobile phone browser to get access to Yozzo and download free mobile content directly to mobile phone.

via pr.com

Here is the company's entry on CrunchBase (an index for start-up company and internet business).

Yozzo.com is a social community with focus on Thai and international members accessing the mobile web with their mobile phone and the mobile internet browser; Opera Mini.

via crunchbase.com

Yozzo calling itself a mobile social network is a somewhat misleading as it is an operator-exclusive portal for sharing and viewing content rather than a Facebook on mobile.

Mobile social network is yet to really take off in Thailand or Lao but, with services like Twitter and FourSquare providing a compelling reason to access social networks through mobile consumer attitudes and behaviour may suit the arrival of mobile social networking, which would likely come from existing social networks pushing their mobile credentials.

Yozzo will have a difficult job establishing itself in Lao as it is only available on through the country's third largest operator and on deck. Through the business model its success will be based on the success of content (accessed, downloaded and paid for by subcribers) rather than subscriber numbers and advertisers which true social networks rely on.

Seems Lao will have to wait a little longer for real mobile social networking.

Filed under // Lao Tigo Lao Millicom mobile mobile social networking social networking thailand yozzo