Online media consumption shifts in SEA

RESEARCH YAHOO ONLINE

• Study by Yahoo, TNS, Nielsen, Synovate
• Internet usage trends in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines
• 4 key trends found
  

Regional - Online news is proving its popularity in South East Asia, with online news usage shooting to 97% from 89% over the last year, according to a recent study by Yahoo, TNS, Nielsen and Synovate.

The Net Index Study examined internet usage trends in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines, sampling internet users above 15 years of age via face-to-face interviews.

Four key trends were found in the study.

Firstly, mobile access was found to be gaining momentum in these regions, with more brand new Internet users jumping directly into this space. Attractive tariffs and 3G expansion have been credited as key factors driving the trend of Internet access though mobile devices. Cost-effective data plans with bundled offerings are also driving usage of specific features like instant messaging and email, particularly in Indonesia.

Indonesia was the largest and fastest growing online market in Southeast Asia in the study, recording a jump in usage from 22% (2009) to 48% (2010). However, internet cafés there are gradually losing ground to mobile as dominant access points.

In Vietnam, mobile Internet access is also picking up fast, nearly doubling year-to-year, from 10% (2008) to 19% (2009). Popular activities are searching for information and listening to music.

Secondly, online gaming was found to be a dominant activity within the entertainment category in Vietnam. Overall, the growth of online gaming is being led by young males. Recreation, socialising and competition are creating the push for online gaming. 

Thirdly, for these nations, content/opinion sharing (in terms of user generated content) was  more prevalent than social networking. It took up 47% of social media activity in comparison to social networking's 31%.

Fourthly, the popularity of online news has reached new heights, and certain kinds of news such as entertainment and gossip related news are key attractions, particularly for younger audiences and females.

"Each insight gathered from Net Index 2010 has a powerful implication for marketers in this region. Net Index helps separate myth from reality, providing a clear perspective and direction to businesses to craft meaningful online strategies" said Karthik Venkatakrishnan, business director & group head, TNS Indonesia, Yahoo!'s Net Index partner in Indonesia and Vietnam.
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