A bespoke research investigating voice adoption and usage across six markets in the Asia Pacific region
iProspect released ‘The Future is Voice Activated’, a bespoke research piece that investigates voice adoption and usage across smartphone owners in Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan and Singapore. The white paper uses these findings to outline implications for marketers when crafting their voice strategies across the six field markets.
Together with insights consultancy idstats, iProspect surveyed over 1,800 smartphone owners aged 18 to 50 years old across Asia Pacific in April 2018.
The research highlights the impact and scale of voice technology (voice search, voice-activated AI assistants, voice-enabled application functions, etc.) in Asia Pacific today. 62% of respondents used voice activated technology in the last six months, with India (82%) and China (77%) emerging as leaders in voice adoption. Additionally, 56% of current users observed that their usage had increased over the last six months and 95% indicated their intention to continue using voice technology in the next twelve months.
India in detail:
India emerged as the leading market both in terms of adoption rates and positive sentiment towards voice experiences. 82% of surveyed smartphone users report to be using voice activated technology, with 51% of them engaging with voice daily. A growing trend, 78% of current user’s report their usage has increased in the last six months and many users began using the technology over twelve months ago.
The survey also revealed that 74% of total respondents are early adopters. Therefore, as voice technology becomes more widely available across the market, voice is positioned to be very impactful and scalable. 56% of non-users indicate that they will begin using voice-activated technology if it continues to be perceived as a ‘technological revolution.’
Voice usage in India is predominately linked to functionality. The ability to multi-task and use time more efficiently emerged as the two top reasons for using voice activated technology. Perception was also found to be important to users in India, with 46% using voice because it makes them feel cool and 54% using voice because they feel it is in the next technological revolution. Out of all surveyed Asia Pacific markets, India had the highest NPS score of +59.
The following are the key takeaways from Indian market:
Positive Momentum for Early Adopters: India has seen phenomenal momentum in terms of voice adoption and NPS ranking. The early adopter audience will continue to drive growth in this market as their positive experiences are shared.
Smart Home is Key: The smart home will be key to consider when crafting a local voice strategy. Google Home and Alexa are set to play a central role in driving this further adoption in India. Brands need to lean in to both ecosystems and design experiences that add convenience to moments in the home.
Tip of the Iceberg: With smartphone assistants being a dominant source of interaction, the rising smartphone population in India will further fuel voice adoption. We have only seen the beginning of voice and its scalability in this market.
Using the research and Net Promotor Scores, iProspect classifies surveyed markets into two categories: conservative and dynamic growth markets. Conservative growth markets are classified as having less than 60% adoption, mixed sentiment towards the technology and steady growth potential whereas dynamic growth markets are classified as having over 60% adoption, positive sentiment towards the technology and high growth potential. These classifications frame the content of the whitepaper.
“The transformative impact of voice technology is being felt across the globe. Brands who aren’t reacting to this burgeoning technology risk becoming invisible sooner than they think across key customer touch points,” said Joanna Catalano, CEO, iProspect Asia Pacific. “This piece of research explores the proliferation of voice technology across the region and key considerations for brands when crafting a voice strategy.”
The white paper suggests that brands should consider the following when crafting a voice strategy:
Convenience is King: Tapping into hands-free moments and daily habits is important to offer true value to the customer. Start simple – in terms of both the queries needed from the user and for information provided by the assistants.
Optimise for Rank Zero: In Asia, Voice search is becoming a significant way in which we discover products, locations and more. Brands need to optimise their SEO and marketplace content strategies to suit new conversational queries. Remember with only one audio result you want to make sure it is your brand.
Understand Market Nuances (Dynamic vs Conservative): There are clear differences in the behaviour, adoption and ecosystems of voice in each country. We consistently see differences emerging between dynamic and conservative markets. To succeed, brands must first understand the behaviour and ecosystem in each market.
Dynamic growth markets are set for a voice revolution over the coming years. Reactions to voice technology have been overwhelmingly positive with a high percentage of users having experiences they are willing to share and recommend to others. This positive momentum will continue in the coming years with voice moving to the centre of digital communications and touch points. Brands must invest now in developing a holistic voice strategy as dynamic markets are using this format across many varied devices, applications and occasions. Combined, these markets account for nearly 40% of the world’s population and will be important to any global brand’s growth strategy.
