Affle’s Anuj Kumar on why mobile is important for brands
Affle, a digital services company based out of Singapore has been in the market for over eight year now. Its key businesses revolve around mobile applications and mobile advertising. They offer an end-to-end platform for development of the mobile apps, get users on the platform and subsequently drive revenues for the platform through advertising. This system is backed by a singular intelligence network, which distinguishes it from other peers in mobile advertising and delivers optimised results.
The mobile advertising company can be attributed as a pioneer in the business as it entered the market when mobile marketing did not enjoy the fad it does now. Smartphones were non-existent and internet penetration even lower, said Anuj Kumar, Co-founder and Managing Director at Affle.
Over the last few years the mobile industry has seen tremendous growth in the market with uptick in the number of mobile internet users in the country. According to a study by Indian Association of Mobile and Internet, the consumer base of mobile internet users is expected to touch 173 million. Further, increase in smartphone penetration has contributed to rise in mobile advertising.
“In India, 60-70 per cent of the internet consumption is through mobile so if you do not have a mobile optimised website then it is the worst thing you can do to your brand,” said Mr Kumar. In the last one year the advertising landscape has changed by leaps and bounds. Marketers cannot afford to neglect the inclusion of digital media in their marketing mix as the opportunities in the space are immense.
“There are several companies in Asia who are embracing mobile strategy, they are building their mobile applications and engaging consumers on their platform to drive sales,” added Mr Kumar.
According to market estimates, in the last one year, the consumer market has clearly grown by over 100 per cent and key trends that have driven the market are the commerce companies which include ecommerce platform which is seeing persistent growth and mobile payment platform companies, said Mr Kumar.
Such companies live their entire business on the mobile phone. Flipkart, Jabong, and Paytms of the world are the drivers behind the surge in mobile advertising spends in India,” he added.
IAMAI had released a study that internet users in India will breach the 300 million mark by the end of 2014, which has primarily led the growth of ecommerce in India. It may be far from competing with biggies such as China and US but the consumers continue with online purchases unperturbed.
What stands out among an array of changes in the marketing industry in 2014 is that – brands have come forth and started launching the mobile assets to leverage the mobile consumers in India. The line between brands and publishers is merging as they have to ensure that they are delivering the desired quality of content and experience to its end user on the mobile platform. “We also had a lot of brands approaching us who are looking to build their mobile assets,” the founder of the mobile services company said.
Numbers are not enough to describe the growth in mobile phones and internet in India. Mobiles are becoming cheaper and smarter and the growth in this segment is undeniable. Therefore, it is crucial that brand and advertisers acknowledge this trend and develop their mobile assets otherwise they stand the risk of losing out on this large pool of potential consumers.
