donderdag 8 oktober 2015

Emoji: the new universal language

Emoji is the fastest growing language and continues to grow exponentially thanks to today’s smartphone technology. "As a visual language emoji has already far eclipsed hieroglyphics, its ancient Egyptian precursor which took centuries to develop," says Professor Vyv Evans of Bangor University (May 2015). Research shows younger generations are more comfortable using new ways of communication to talk to their parents or to discuss serious topics, such as abuse.


Emoji are understood globally, are an informal way to talk to consumers and can lighten the mood . It’s thus no surprise one of the trends in 2015 for brands is to use Emoji in communication, with famous examples such as McDonalds, Taco Bell or the #EndangeredEmoji campaign by WWF . Emoji even have a global celebration day: ‘World Emoji Day’ on June, 17.


In Belgium, 3 out of 4 smartphone owners  use Emoji. 1 in 3 does this on a daily basis. The most frequent users are (not surprisingly) the younger generations: 62% of youngsters, aged 18 – 24 use Emoji daily, this number drops to 44% for 25y – 34y. Elder generations are using Emoji as well (57% of 55y – 65y smartphone owners), but less regularly: only 1 in 10 smartphone owners (aged 55y – 65y) use Emoji on a daily basis. Of course, smartphone penetration is lower for elder generations as well.

Click on the image to view full infographic

Sources
1: ‘Abused Emoji’, http://www.engadget.com/2015/06/04/abused-emoji/ 
2: Emoji on Marketing Week, http://www.marketingweek.com/2015/07/21/are-emojis-becoming-marketers-go-to-global-language/ 
3: Endangered Emoji, http://endangeredemoji.com/
4: Research on 7400 Belgium consumers, August 2015, GfK Belgium

vrijdag 21 augustus 2015

How my OPO represents the global smartphone market

This is my current smartphone. The OnePlus One, or OPO if you like. I have it for about 9 months, and it embodies the 4 major global smartphone trends of Q1 2015.

1. Bigger screens

With a 5.5" 1080p full HD screen, the OPO is without discussion a smartphone with a big screen. Some call it a phablet, some don't. The official minimum phablet size varies between 5" and 5.7". Globally, smartphones with big screens are driving the market growth.

2. The rise of 4G

Having a 4G (LTE) connection is no longer the exlusive right of € 500 + smartphones. Also mid- and low-budget smartphones allow you nowadays to be fully connected on the go. 50% of smartphones sold in Q1 2015 has 4G connectivity.

3. Cheaper handsets

The market of low-end smartphones grew in Q1 2015, the mid-range share remained stable. High-end smartphones lost market share because of this evolution. Low-end smartphones represent over 50% of the global market today.
This evolution is different in Belgium, where the mid-segment is under pressure. Find out more about the 3 Belgian smartphone trends [Dutch].
4. Fast growth of emerging markets

Emerging markets are not only driving the global market growth, but also disrupt the manufacturers' scene. Brands as Xiami, Huawei or Oneplus are no longer exlusive for the APAC region but offer their products worldwide. The markets in Middle East & Africa and emerging APAC are forecasted to grow by 29 to 33% in 2015.

Source: read the full GfK Smartphone market trend report.

maandag 22 juni 2015

According to a study

Some days ago, the internet picked up on one of the very reasons I love market research. A quote, somewhat sarcastic, but build on the eagerness to learn, that shows what market research - among other things - is or can be about.
The belief to research consumers, to research the market, to research trends and evolution, to allow people to not only quote your study or research, but make decisions based on your insights, your recommendations - that is what market research is about.
We help brands to make better decisions, faster.
If you want to quote a study for your presentation, it doesn't matter if it's a sales pitch, a PhD defense (or other papers, articles or books) or speaking to an audience on an event, you can improve it by referring to research in a story-telling way of doing so.

To make an even better impression, here are 3 ways to take it to the next level:

1. Use a percentage
According to a study, 87% of statistics are made up

2. Add 'recent' to the mix
According to a recent study, 83,4% of statistics are made up

3. Show a simple (easy to read and understand) graph
According to a recent study, 81% of statistics are made up

Which statement do you believe?

Credits to (sources): REBRN, see way more

donderdag 18 juni 2015

Digital at #RW15

Nog 6 dagen, 22 uur en 12 minuten. De applicatie van Rock Werchter 2015 telt af naar de start van mijn persoonlijke hoogmis van de komende weken. Vier dagen vertoeven op de weide, vier dagen genieten van verschillende artiesten in de Barn, Klub C en het hoofdpodium. Niet van de Foo Fighters, maar dat terzijde.

Mijn digitale zelf kreeg een extra boost toen aangekondigd werd dat de samenwerking met playpass uitgebreid werd. Buiten sneller binnen raken en een Facebook status posten, zal je nu ook met je werchterbandje kunnen betalen op de weide: een cash vrij festival.
Ik registreerde mij, om vervolgens geen bevestigings e-mail te ontvangen. Dat kan gebeuren natuurlijk en ik contacteerde Playpass support via de opgegeven weg. Ik ben voorstander van korte en to the point support, maar "uw registratie was succesvol" in SMS stijl van een "no-reply" adres vind ik toch wel heel beperkt.
Voorlopig heb ik geen verdere info ontvangen op de toch wel relevante vraag: 'hoe en wanneer link ik mijn Paypal zodat ik geen cash moet meebrengen?'. Hopelijk moeten we niet met z'n allen op de weide gaan aanschuiven om de link met Facebook en Paypal te kunnen maken.
Als Playpass en Paypal niet werken, zal Herman me dan wat geld voorschieten, of zal je mobiel kunnen betalen met de bancontact app of SEQR?
Gisteren volgde dan het tweede digitale hoogtepunt: de lancering van de RW15 app. Wat. Een. Teleurstelling. Al dagen wachten we met onze groep vrienden op de app, zodat we onze favorieten kunnen aanduiden en we onze timelines kunnen vergelijken. Zo ging het vorige keer toch.

Rock Werchter ging nu echter in zee met Appmiral, een standaard applicatie voor festivals. Misschien efficiënter en goedkoper, maar voor de festivalganger toch een stevige stap achteruit. Mijn schedule ziet er als volgt uit op mijn toch redelijk groot scherm (5'5 inch):


Moest ik niet weten dat er drie podia zijn, de Barn zou aan mij geen frequente bezoeker hebben. Via diamant-icoontjes kan je wel je favoriete artiesten aanduiden. Dankzij @Ineswillems heb ik dat overzicht dan terug gevonden bij mijn profiel, in plaats van bij mijn schedule.
Appmiral reageerde alvast op Twitter dat er begin volgende week een update van de app uitgerold wordt. Mijn persoonlijke voorkeur zou zijn geen beta-versie de weide wereld in te sturen, maar nu het toch zo is, alvast wat gratis advies:

  • Integreer het plan van de weide
  • Maak het 'schedule' volledig zichtbaar, of horizontaal met een duidelijke tijdsaanduiding
  • Gebruik de Facebook login om te linken met vrienden en een gedeeld schema te kunnen zien
  • Integreer een alfabetische lijst van artiesten
  • Een desktop / web versie om je festival voor te bereiden
  • Integratie met Playpass voor leuke (je bent X tijd op de weide) en nuttige (je hebt al € X uitgegeven) weetjes

Nog 6 dagen, 21 uur en 5 minuten tot #RW15, ik ben benieuwd!

woensdag 14 januari 2015

My first ten days with the Moto 360

As you know, I have been looking forward wearing a smartwatch for quite some time. Last week, it was finally the time when I was able to order the Moto 360, Motorola's smartwatch. Combining stylish design and Android wear, it's my favorite smartwatch currently available. Allow me to share with you why I fell in love with a € 250 technology gadget after only a couple of days.

A photo posted by Bert Hendrickx (@bhendrickx88) on

1) It's a watch, it tells you what time it is

Prepare yourself if you consider buying a smartwatch, people will ask you 'what does it do?'. There is however a short answer to that question: 'It's a watch, it tells you what time it is'. After all, smart or not, that is what watches are supposed to do. Motorola and Google kept this in mind while designing the user experience: no screen touches, no buttons, no voice commands ... you just turn your wrist as with any traditional watch you've ever had, and it shows you the time. 

2) It guides you during a busy day

As I have been using Google Now for quite some time already, my smartwatch didn't face to much challenges getting to know me. My smartphone and Google Now already told me the traffic in the morning, the weather, my upcoming meetings ... I don't get up with my watch on, so I still check my smartphone first. However during the day, I don't.

During the day, it's the Moto 360 that keeps me on track. It tells me I have another meeting in '30, or in '15, where that meeting is and what time I should leave from wherever I am at that moment. I don't have to worry about forgetting something, my wrist reminds me.

3) It offers distance from your smartphone

One of the initial ideas behind Android Wear is reducing the time we spend (loose) during the day by checking our phone far to often (i.e. for notifications). The Moto 360 provides a filter, reducing the need to pull out your phone. Notifications are pushed towards the watch immediately, allowing yourself to decide whether or not it is important enough to grab your phone. For me, it works like a filter during both office hourse (being more productive) and private time (no, or at least less FOMO*).



So far, the smartwatch basically offers a convenient way of using Google Now and your notifications on your wrist. There is room for improvement, for example Dutch voice commands, and actual useful apps are still rare. However, I'd like to share the MyShopi smartwatch app, one I actually use.



As stated before, I expect a smartwatch to guide me during the day, and to look like a watch. The Moto 360 and Android Wear manage to do just that. Sophisticated simplicity on your wrist, that is why I love it.

*FOMO or the 'Fear of missing out' is a form of social anxiety, whereby one is compulsively concerned that one might miss an opportunity for social interaction, a novel experience, profitable investment or an other satisfying event (source: Wikipedia)