Our Mobile Planet:
Vietnam
Understanding the Mobile Consumer
May 2013
Google Confidential and Proprietary
Executive Summary
Smartphones have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Smartphone penetration is
currently at 20% in the population and these smartphone owners are becoming increasingly reliant on
their devices. 70% access the Internet every day on their smartphone and half never leave home without
it. Implication: Businesses that make mobile a central part of their strategy will benefit from the
opportunity to engage the new constantly connected consumer.
Smartphones have transformed consumer behaviour. Mobile search, video, app usage and social
networking are prolific. Smartphone users are multi-tasking their media with 92% using their phone while
doing other things such as listening to music (64%). Implication: Extending advertising strategies to
include mobile and developing integrated cross-media campaigns can reach todays consumers more
effectively.
Smartphones help users navigate the world. Appearing on smartphones is critical for local businesses.
97% of smartphone users look for local information on their phone and 97% take action as a result, such
as making a purchase or contacting the business. Implication: Ensuring that clickable phone numbers
appear in local results and leveraging location based services on mobile make it easy
for consumers to connect directly with businesses.
Smartphones have changed the way that consumers shop. Smartphones are critical shopping tools
with 95% of users having researched a product or service on their device. Smartphone research
influences buyer decisions and purchases across channels. 60% of smartphone users have made
a purchase on their phone. Implication: Having a mobile-optimised site is critical and a cross-channel
strategy is needed to engage consumers across the multiple paths to purchase.
Smartphones help advertisers connect with consumers. Mobile ads are noticed by 95% of
smartphone users. Smartphones are also a critical component of traditional advertising as 91% have
performed a search on their smartphone after seeing an offline ad. Implication: Making mobile ads
a part of an integrated marketing strategy can drive greater consumer engagement.
Google Confidential and Proprietary
Understanding the Mobile Consumer
This survey is designed
to gain insights into how
consumers use the Internet
on their smartphones
In detail:
DAY
How are smartphones
used in daily life?
How do consumers multi-task
with their smartphones?
What activities are consumers
conducting on their smartphones?
Facts and figures about smartphone adoption
and usage
Internet usage in general, search, video,
social networking, mobile advertising
and m-commerce behaviour via smartphones
This country report is part of a global
smartphone study conducted in multiple
countries. Visit thinkwithgoogle.com/
mobileplanet for access to additional tools
and data
What role do smartphones play
in the shopping process?
How do consumers respond
to ads, offline and on mobile?
Google Confidential and Proprietary
Agenda
Smartphones are Indispensable to Daily Life
Smartphones Have Transformed Consumer Behaviour
Smartphones Help Users Navigate the World
Smartphones Change the Way that Consumers Shop
Smartphones Help Advertisers Connect with Customers
Google Confidential and Proprietary
SMARTPHONES
ARE INDISPENSABLE
TO DAILY LIFE
Google Confidential and Proprietary
Smartphone Penetration
20%
Q1 2013
Base: National representative population 16+, n= 1.000
Q1:
Which if any of the following devices do you currently use?
Google Confidential and Proprietary
Smartphones are a Central Part of
Our Daily Lives
70%
have used their smartphones
every day in the past 7 days
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general, Smartphone n= 1.000
Q18: Thinking about the last seven days, on how many days were you online with ...?
Google Confidential and Proprietary
Smartphones are Always On, Always with You
50%
dont leave home without
their device
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general, Smartphone n= 1.000
Q52: To what extent do you agree to each of these statements?, Top2 Boxes; scale from 5 completely agree to 1 completely
disagree. "I dont leave house without my smartphone"
Google Confidential and Proprietary
Smartphones Are Used Everywhere
Place of Use
97%
Home
93%
Cafe or coffee shop
97%
At home
77%
On the go
91%
Work
On-the-go
77%
Restaurant
76%
In a store
75%
Public transport
74%
71%
At a social gathering/function/event
75%
69%
School
Airport
56%
In a store
Doctor's office
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general, Smartphone n= 1.000
Q16: Where do you tend to use your smartphone? Please first select at which locations you ever use it - even if only seldom.
47%
Google Confidential and Proprietary
Perceived Smartphone Usage Intensity
increased in last six months
%
58
Spent more time
online with their
smartphone in the
last 6 months
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general, Smartphone n= 1.000
Q21: Thinking about the last 6 months, have you been using your smartphone to access the Internet more or less than you had before?
Google Confidential and Proprietary
10
Smartphones Have Become so Important
to Consumers that
37%
would rather give up
TV than their smartphone
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general, Smartphone n= 1.000
Q52: To what extent do you agree with each of these statements?, Top2 Boxes; scale from 5 completely agree to 1 completely disagree. I
would rather give up TV than my smartphone. "I would rather give up my TV / desktop PC than my smartphone"
Google Confidential and Proprietary
11
SMARTPHONES
HAVE TRANSFORMED
CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Google Confidential and Proprietary
12
Smartphones are
a Major Access
Point for Search
78%
search on their
smartphones
every day
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general and who are searching via search engine, Smartphone n= 987
Q31: How often do you do searches (via Google, Yahoo!, Bing, etc.) on your smartphone?
Google Confidential and Proprietary
13
Smartphones Inform Our Daily Life
48%
Job Offers
44%
Travel
71%
Product Info
42%
Restaurants, Pubs & Bars
33%
Apartments, Housing info
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general, Smartphone n= 1.000
Q23: Which of the following activities do you do with your smartphone? Please indicate whether you ever do this at all.
Google Confidential and Proprietary
14
Smartphones are a Multi-Activity Portal
92%
Communication
87%
Emailed (sent or read)
82%
Accessed a social network (e.g. updated a
status message, checked messages or
friends' pages)
81%
Read news on newspaper or magazine
portals
Reviewed websites blogs or message
boards
78%
71%
Stay Informed
95%
Entertainment
Browsed the Internet
82%
Listened to music
81%
Played games
Watched videos on a video sharing
website (e.g. YouTube.com)
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general, Smartphone n= 1.000
Q23: Which of the following activities do you do with your smartphone? Please indicate whether you ever do this at all.
72%
67%
Google Confidential and Proprietary
15
App Usage is Ubiquitous
23
9
Base:
Base:
Q25:
Q26:
apps installed
on average
apps used in the
last 30 days
paid apps installed
on average
Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general, Smartphone n= 1.000 Q24: How many apps do you currently have on your smartphone?
Google Confidential and Proprietary
Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general and who have, at minimum, one app on their smartphone, n= 1.000
And of the apps that you currently have installed on your smartphone, how many have you used actively in the last 30 days?
And of the apps that you currently have installed on your smartphone, how many have you purchased for a certain amount in an app distribution platform ?
16
Smartphones Users are Avid Video Watchers
96%
watch video
49%
use video at least
once a day
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general, Smartphone n= 1.000
Q35: How often do you watch videos via websites or apps (e.g. short video clips,
videos of TV shows, TV movies online, etc.) on your smartphone?
Google Confidential and Proprietary
17
Smartphone Users are Frequent
Social Networkers
98%
visit social
networks
80%
visit at least
once a day
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general, Smartphone n= 1.000 Q38:
How often do you visit a social network (via websites or apps) on your smartphone?
Google Confidential and Proprietary
18
Smartphones Are Used While Multi-tasking with
Other Media
Listen to music
64%
Read a book
Watch TV
36%
41%
%
92
Use
smartphone
while
Watch movies
45%
Use Internet
55%
Play video games
Read magazines/
newspapers
31%
62%
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general and who were online yesterday with their smartphone, n= 1000
Q22: When you use the Internet on your smartphone, which if any of the following do you normally do at the same time?
Google Confidential and Proprietary
19
SMARTPHONES
HELP USERS
NAVIGATE THE WORLD
AROUND THEM
Google Confidential and Proprietary
20
97%
of smartphone users have
looked for local
information
97%
have taken action as
a result
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general, Smartphone n= 1.000
Q33: How often do you look for information about local businesses or services on your smartphone? (Ever)
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general and who look at least less than once a month for information
their smartphone, Smartphone n= 971
Q34
Which of the following actions have you taken after having looked up this type of information (business or services close to your
location)?
on
Google Confidential and Proprietary
21
Looking for Local Information is a Frequent
Smartphone Activity
80%
47%
Look for local information
at least once a week
Look for local information
daily
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general, Smartphone n= 1.000
Q33: How often do you look for information about local businesses or services on your smartphone? (Ever)
Google Confidential and Proprietary
22
Local Information Seekers Take Action
60%
connected with the
business
74%
visited the
business
47%
told others
about it
54%
made a purchase
Looked the business up on a map or got
directions to the business or service
46%
36%
Called the business or service
Visited the website of the business or
service
Visited a business (e.g. shop or
restaurant)
70%
17%
Read or wrote a review about a business
or service
Recommended a business or service to
someone else
Made a puchase from a business online
Made a purchase from a business in-store
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general and who look at least less than once a month for
information on their smartphone, Smartphone n= 971
Q34: Which of the following actions have you taken after having looked up this type of information (business or
services close to your location)?
38%
18%
37%
35%
Google Confidential and Proprietary
23
SMARTPHONES
CHANGE THE WAY THAT
CONSUMERS SHOP
Google Confidential and Proprietary
24
Smartphones Allow Users to Research Products
Anytime, Anywhere
Place of Search
76%
Home
76%
57%
Work
At home
54%
Caf or coffee shop
23%
In a store
27%
On the go
Public transport
27%
In a store
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general, Smartphone n= 1.000
Q51a: And where were you when you researched for products or services with your smartphone?
On-the-go
Restaurant
25%
23%
21%
Google Confidential and Proprietary
25
95%
have researched
a product or service
on their phone
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general, Smartphone n= 1.000
Q51a: And where were you when you researched for products or services with your smartphone?
Google Confidential and Proprietary
26
Smartphones are Our Primary Shopping
Companions
I have changed my mind about
purchasing a product or service
online as of a result of information that
37%
I gathered using my smartphone.
I have changed my
mind about purchasing
a product or service
in a shop as of a result of information
35%
that I gathered using my smartphone.
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general, Smartphone n= 1.000
Q52: To what extent do you agree to each of these statements? Please answer on a scale from 1 to 5. A "1" means that you completely disagree
with the statement, a "5" means that you completely agree with the statement.
Google Confidential and Proprietary
27
Research that Starts on Smartphones Leads
to Purchases Across Channels
Research
on smartphone
63%
71%
then purchased
then purchased
via computer
then purchased
it offline
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general, Smartphone n= 1.000
Q48: Listed below are various products or services. For each of these products or services please indicate which statement applies to you.
Google Confidential and Proprietary
28
Smartphones Are an Emerging Point of
Purchase
60%
of smartphone users
have purchased
a product or service
on their smartphone
69%
of these smartphone shoppers
have made a purchase
in the past month
Base:
Q44:
Base:
Q45:
Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general, Smartphone n= 1.000
Have you ever purchased a product or service over the Internet on your smartphone? By product or service we mean everything that you can buy
excluding apps.
Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general and who purchased via Internet on their smartphone n= 598
Have you made a purchase by using your smartphone in the past month?
Google Confidential and Proprietary
29
Smartphones Shoppers are Frequent Buyers
77%
make mobile purchases
at least once a month
Base:
Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general and who purchased via Internet on their smartphone, Smartphone n= 598 Q47:
How frequently do you purchase products or services with your smartphone?
Google Confidential and Proprietary
30
Barriers to Mobile Commerce Still Exist
Hard to compare prices and options
35%
Screen size is too small
34%
Cannot see detailed product/service information
34%
Cannot trust credit card security on mobile
device
29%
Mobile online access tend to be interrupted
29%
It takes too much time to open the web site page
28%
Hard to type
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general and who NOT purchased via Internet on their smartphone n= 402 Q46:
Why have you not made a purchase using your smartphone? Top 7
22%
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31
Smartphones
Help Advertisers Connect
With Their Customers
Google Confidential and Proprietary
32
Offline Ad Exposure Leads to Mobile Search
Ad location
91%
have performed
a mobile search after
seeing an ad
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general, n= 1000
Q43a: Thinking about the last 6 months, how often have you used your smartphone to do a search in
response to an ad you have seen in a magazine, on a poster, on TV or in a shop/business?
TV
Shop/business
85%
83%
Magazines
Posters / Billboards
84%
80%
Google Confidential and Proprietary
33
95%
of smartphone users
notice mobile ads
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general, Smartphone n= 1.000
Q41: How often do you notice advertising when you are using the browser or an app on your
smartphone? (Ever)
Google Confidential and Proprietary
34
Mobile Ads Make an Impression
35%
While in app
64%
While on
a website
36%
Where Mobile Ads Are Noticed
64%
While on a website
While using a search engine
36%
While in an app
35%
While on a retailer website
27%
While using
a search engine
19%
White watching
a video
While on a video website
20%
While watching a video
19%
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general and who at least rarely notice advertising n= 868
Q42: Where have you noticed advertising when using your smartphone?
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35
Background
Google Confidential and Proprietary
36
Research Methodology
In partnership with Ipsos MediaCT, we interviewed a total of 1,000
Vietnamese online adults (18-64 years of age) who identified
themselves as using a smartphone to access the Internet
The distribution is according to a national representative study and the
data is weighted on age, gender, region, brand of smartphone, mobile
internet usage frequency and tablet usage
A smartphone is defined as "a mobile phone offering advanced
capabilities, often with PC-like functionality or ability to
download apps"
Respondents were asked a variety of questions around device usage,
mobile search, video, social, web and commerce behaviour and mobile
advertising
Interviews were conducted in Q1 2013
Google Confidential and Proprietary
37
Demographics
Gender
40%
Female
60%
Male
37%
18-24 Years
38%
25-34 Years
Age
15%
35-44 Years
9%
45-54 Years
55+ Years
1%
83%
Urban
Area
12%
Suburban
Rural
4%
52%
Single
Marital
Status
Living with partner
3%
42%
Married
Divorce/separated
2%
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general, n= 1.000
S2. Please indicate your gender. / S1. What is your age? / D3. In what area do you live? D2. What is your marital status?
Google Confidential and Proprietary
38
Demographics
24%
Secondary (Grade 6-9)
35%
High School (Grade 10-12)
28%
Vocational Institutions/ Polytechnics/ Diploma
Education
Graduated college
13%
61%
Graduated university
Post-University
VND 48,000,000 or less
VND 48,000,001 - 80,000,000
Income
9%
14%
12%
16%
VND 80,000,001 - 120,000,000
VND 120,000,001 - 160,000,000
13%
16%
VND 160,000,001 - 250,000,000
VND 250,000,001 - 380,000,000
VND 380,000,001 - or more
Base: Private smartphone users who use the Internet in general, n= 1.000
D4. What is the highest level of education that you have completed? D5. Which of the following best describes your
employment status? D8. Which of these ranges comes closest to the total (annual) income of your household
before anything is deducted for VAT, National Insurance (Social security), pension schemes, etc.?
10%
9%
Google Confidential and Proprietary
39
