Chrysa Karamanidi, head of campaign management at Upstream, looks at the importance of local nuances for mobile marketing success in emerging markets

It is often said that telecoms operators are the most trusted provider of content in emerging markets. In Nigeria alone, 47 per cent of Nigerian consumers are most likely to trust promotions sent from a mobile operator over a brand or third party.

With Sub-Saharan Africa expecting to add 175m new mobile users over the next three years, and a similar story being played out across other emerging markets, the opportunity to drastically increase revenue streams via consumer handsets is presenting itself to telecoms operators and brands alike.

But however tempting it might be to take a successful campaign that worked in one country and expand it to other territories, it’s worth noting that the key timings and words that drive engagement vary greatly, and not in an always predictable fashion.

Peak engagement times
The differences do not have to be large, but they can be highly important, as the example of Nigeria and Cameroon demonstrates. These neighbouring countries both have peak engagement times in the afternoon; however, the best time to target Nigerians is during the ‘afternoon slump’, approximately 3pm, which is when they are most receptive to marketing messaging – whereas 2pm is the peak time in Cameroon. An hour may not seem like a lot, but the outcome can have obvious impact in terms of the level of engagement a campaign might produce.

Wording is also just as crucial, with nuanced differences appearing between the two African nations. ‘Urgent’ messages are effective at engaging Nigerians, whereas ‘exclusive’ mobile offers have been found to create cut-through with Cameroon consumers. This is not to say that each country requires a totally bespoke campaign; our data shows that marketing messages containing words such as ‘lucky’, ‘congratulations’, and ‘pay nothing’ are popular with consumers across all countries. Some geographically distant countries have surprisingly similar keywords; Brazilian and Vietnamese mobile users for example share a preference for terms such as ‘you have been selected’.

The final issue to keep in mind is what mechanism is most effective at driving engagement. While prizes are popular the world over, Vietnamese users respond more readily to mEducation. The promise of free credit or a new smartphone is enticing, but when there is the added opportunity to acquire a new skill at the same time, engagement in Vietnam peaks.

Increase revenues
Mobile devices are the most used type of device for many emerging market consumers, and mobile devices are often the primary means for consumers to access the web and learn about new products and promotions. This is where brands and telecoms operators have an opportunity to work together to increase revenues. A partnership that blends the desirability and cache of a high visibility brand with the wide reach and consumer confidence of a telecoms operator can tap into new marketing spaces.

The focus on mobile will extend far beyond 2014. The exponential growth of global mobile shipments, thanks largely to the entry of low-cost handsets to the market, coupled with the decline of PCs shipments, means that the importance of reaching consumers via their personal mobile devices is more apparent than ever. While we have identified key triggers for responses over mobile, businesses hoping to penetrate emerging markets need to work with the right partners that have detailed knowledge of the mobile landscape and consumers preferences’ within each country they want to target. A successful campaign needs local knowledge as much as it needs technical expertise and curated content.

Chrysa Karamanidi is head of campaign management at Upstream