Ahead of Facebook phone reveal 31% from emerging markets would like to purchase a phone designed by a social network
With Facebook set to unveil its Android phone this evening, Upstream and YouGov has discovered that 31 per cent of respondents from emerging markets would like to purchase a phone designed by a social network.
The survey, which questioned over 3,500 people across Nigeria, India, Saudi Arabia and Brazil, found that 19 per cent would be happy to receive advertising messages daily on their phone, while 31 per cent would trust Mobile Network Operators most when receiving promotional messages over mobile.
Marco Veremis, CEO at Upstream, said: “Since its IPO last year, Facebook’s business model has increasingly turned to mobile, with mobile advertising recognised as the major revenue generator for the social network. Its first step into the mobile hardware ecosystem will be particularly welcomed by consumers within emerging markets – who depend on their mobile devices to connect to the Internet and to participate in social networks. In fact, recent research results show that consumers across these regions have a huge appetite for social media connectivity – with 31 per cent of emerging market consumers stating they specifically desire a ‘social media phone’, designed by the social network with relevant apps and content already pre-loaded.
However Facebook should tread carefully. Consumers in the UK and US have already expressed frustrations about the levels of advertising they receive. So far Facebook has recognised that the growth in impressions available to marketers as mobile penetration grows does not equate to bombarding people with advertising. While emerging market consumers may be more amenable to mobile ads, heightened or intrusive advertising is not the way forward.”
It was discovered that, overall, 70 per cent of respondents from emerging markets want to access social media networks via their mobiles