Google Play, WhatsApp driving mobile app growth in emerging markets
Indonesia and India are among the growth markets to lookout for in the mobile app industry. Other key players in the market to watch out for are Brazil, Mexico and Turkey. Indonesia recorded a growth of 70 per cent while India recorded a 30 per cent growth in app downloads.
China came out as the largest of the growth markets, behind only to the US, as its downloads grew by 10 per cent last year. These figures were revealed in a report released by App Annie and MEF on app downloads and revenues on iOS app store and Google Play.
“Emerging markets offer a huge opportunity for app publishers. However, moving into new markets is not always as simple as translating an app,” reveals Olivier Bernard, VP EMEA at App Annie.
App downloads have increasingly become popular with Google Play now experiencing growth in the last year, which is 60 per cent higher than the iOS app store. Popularity of Google Play downloads is a factor behind the rise in app downloads in the emerging markets. Brazil and India followed only the US in the app downloads on Google Play store in Q3 2014. The messaging app, WhatsApp was one of the most downloaded apps on Google Play in emerging markets.
“As different cultures may respond differently to different monetisation models or feature updates, local content and an understanding of the local app market, local competitors and local expectations is key to making the most of these rapidly growing opportunities, ” Bernard added.
When it comes to revenue, the emerging markets showed a strong growth between Q3 2013 and Q3 2014, but it was small compared to the established markets.
Rimma Perelmuter, CEO of MEF, said, “Through our global community and ongoing commitment to market analytics, MEF has identified key growth markets across the globe that are driving both mobile innovation and mass-market consumer adoption. The findings of this joint report show how the dominant App Stores are mirroring these market trends and present real opportunities for all stakeholders.”
The report entitled ‘App Annie & MEF: Emerging Markets and Growth in the Global App Economy’ reveals the key growth markets for the uptake of apps.
