5 min read
Artificial intelligence (AI) is without doubt one of the most talked-about technologies today, and for good reason: advances in computation, processing power and storage, and the tremendous volumes of data generated, thanks to new mobile and cloud technologies have come together to drive a renaissance in AI.
On the other hand, this confluence of factors is also creating mountains of data – and a headache for any enterprise trying to make sense of all of it. Since Appier was established five years ago, we’ve accumulated a considerable database of billions of anonymized device profiles in Asia, which continues to learn as it grows. This data provides some very good insight into the cross-screen behaviors of people throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
Today, I wanted to share a few highlights from our newly-released 2H 2016 Cross-Screen User Behavior Report, generated from our analysis of over 1,800 billion Appier-run campaign data points.
For enterprises, one of the report’s key takeaways is just how important it is to understand the cross-device dynamics of today’s consumers. The complexity of these usage patterns make it difficult for marketers trying to reach them using conventional technology. Using AI, Appier is able to process these billions of data points quickly, detect patterns and even predict future behavior.
I encourage you to download the report to read at your leisure, but I wanted to share here a few key trends the report reveals.
1. A cross-device perspective is critical to understanding Asian consumers
51% of internet users across Asia own 2 or more devices. And among that group, more than half (26% of total users) regularly switch between four or more devices. Regionally, Taiwan users lead Asia in multi-device usage, with 40% using four or more devices, followed by Australia and Japan (29%), Singapore (28%) and Hong Kong (27%).
There’s a lot of talk about the importance of mobile in Asia, but the data from our report shows clearly that a single-device perspective provides an incomplete view of how users in Asia are interacting online. A cross-device perspective is essential for a complete understanding of the user journey.
Consider this: more users browse websites on their PCs during the work day than on mobile, even here in mobile-crazy Asia. But at night, this trend reverses. To be even more precise, our data shows that pageviews on PCs are highest between 2 and 3 pm while pageviews on mobiles peak between 9 and 10 pm.
Another important point the report reveals is just how differently users in Asia reacted to online ads, depending on which device they were using. On average, 79% of users exhibited different behaviors across devices. 35% of users showed completely different behaviors. There are also important differences in this user behavior across the region: Korea logs the most varied behavior at 88%, while on the other end of the scale, Hong Kong stands at 51%.
2. Linking usage data across devices is essential for a comprehensive enterprise data strategy
As our report shows, only by viewing data across devices can you see a complete picture of your user’s journey, and only then will you be able to plan your marketing campaigns effectively. This level of detail is important for marketers, but it’s instructive for other parts of the enterprise as well. For example, the human resources department can use AI to determine where best to deploy the workforce to better serve the needs of the customer base or to identify key skills which HR requires.
3. Richer data sets lead to higher performing campaigns with greater ROI accuracy
Our data consistently shows that cross-screen campaigns perform better than single-screen campaigns. Click-through rates in Vietnam was 54% higher for cross-screen campaigns, while in Australia, the difference was 53%; in India, 48%; in Taiwan, 36%; in Hong Kong, 27% and in Japan and Korea, 19%.
Using Appier’s AI platform, we were also able to help our customers accurately identify the final conversion device on cross-screen campaigns, a critical piece of information for marketers. Across Asia, the smartphone accounted for 46% of final conversions. As usual, there were significant differences by country. The PC drives most final conversions In Australia (71%), India (41%), Malaysia (44%) and Vietnam (41%). The smartphone served as the final conversion device in all other countries – Hong Kong (48%), Indonesia (64%), Korea (62%), Singapore (53%) and Taiwan (48%).
The richer the data, the more successful the campaign. Our research shows three screen campaigns deliver as much as 160% more conversions than those on two screens.
4. Predicting actions is where AI truly shines
We have long believed that one of the biggest benefits of AI is helping predict future actions. Through a comprehensive analysis of the rich datasets that we have accumulated over the years, we have been able to help our customers with very precise and accurate predictions of what their target audiences will do.
One exciting area that we’re exploring is AIXON, a data intelligence platform that allows marketers at a variety of enterprises to discover new customers, enrich their understanding of their customer base, and make predictions using AI.
Some examples of ways that enterprises can use AIXON include:
- A news publisher looking to increase their online subscriptions by identifying likely subscribers online.
- A marketer analyzing data to discover what topics their users are interested in and integrating these insights into their CRM system to optimize their content strategy.
- An e-commerce merchant driving more online sales or conversions by analyzing site data to predict which users are most likely to make online purchases.
- A mobile app developer identifying users at risk of uninstalling their app so they can plan and implement re-engagement measures.
- An online publisher increasing the value of their inventory by providing more granular analyses of site audiences to potential advertisers.
Final word
For more data, details, and insights to consumer behavior in Asia, go ahead and download the report. If you’d like to learn more about how AI can help you, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for more information. Appier’s AI has been helping our customers navigate the complex, cross-device consumer space in Asia over the last five years but this is just the beginning. We believe AI has more to offer to enterprises.
