mobile web and apps world new orleans session 5 does think global work for apps
DESCRIPTION
Does Think Global Work For Mobile Apps? Is your app going global? What are your chances to succeed on places as different as Eastern Europe and Latin America? Should you evaluate localization strategies? Based on LATAM and Brazilian market hits and misfires, this presentation will provide an overview of the opportunities available for app on local LATAM markets. Terence Reis, Partner- Grupo.MobiTRANSCRIPT
Should I stay or should I go?
When going global means going local.
Some quick notes about myself
• I work with mobile since 2004
• I’m on my 3rd start-up - so far, it’s a tie: a draw, a failure, and now, it seems, a hit
• I set-up the MMA LATAM Chapter, as their Managing Director
• I change my mobile each 6 months
• And I don’t use the beard anymore - at my daughter’s request
And about Grupo.Mobi
• Founded in 2007
• Brazil’s largest mobile marketing and advertising group
• 190 employees, 5 offices in Brazil, 1 in London, upcoming: Buenos Aires and Miami (or New York, we’re still not sure)
• What we do:
• Mobile web and apps - Fingertips (http://ftips.com.br)
• Mobile advertising network - Hands (http://hands.com.br)
• Mobile games - Monster Juice (http://monsterjuice.com.br)
• Mobile marketing platforms - Aorta (http://aorta.com.br)
Mobile Inventory
Mobile Inventory
Amount of advertising impressions available
Mobile Inventory
Admob used to tell us how much each month
Mobile Inventory
Now they just couldn’t care less
Well, I care.
Mobile inventory = Local + Originated at
Can you guess the ratio of gringo/local in Brazil?
As my daughter would say...
It’s infinite times!
Now, why is that?
• Angry Birds?
• Cut the Rope?
• Echofon?
• Oh, I know, (insert big app here)!
Now, why is that?
• No, no, no and no.
• Well, they do help.
• But it’s the long tail and the not so long tail
• e-Buddy, Nimbuzz, Echofon, AntSmasher, and most of what’s free and fun. And helpful.
And then
Apps I never heard of started talking to us about their local inventory (Brazil/LATAM)
• Do these guys had a global strategy?
• Did they had a global/local strategy?
• Were they doing the right stuff?
• Should you have a global strategy?
• Should you have a global/local strategy?
• I hope you’ll do the right stuff.
Customizing or localizing content for specific markets and cultures will multiply the desired effect
It’s about familiarity
• EA localized car racing games in Russia:
• 600% ROI over the English version
• LUG (online games distributor in BR):
• A game localized in Portuguese yielded 15X more revenue
Source: http://lingoport.com
Should every app have a localization strategy?
Are you any of these?
A global app
A localized app
A local app
Meanwhile, at the App Store
• Games are king
• But less so, when it comes to free apps
• Free:
• Entertain
• Help
• Search
• Boost
Meanwhile, at the App Store
• US App Store:
• Paid Apps:
• Games are 75-80% of top 300
• Free Apps:
• Games are 35-40% of top 300
• More apps to compete (social apps)
Meanwhile, at the App Store
• LATAM App Stores (BR/MX/AR):
• Paid and Free Apps:
• Games are ~30% of top 300
How many of them are local/localized?
• LATAM App Stores BR/MX/AR:
• Local: ~12% of apps (excluding games)
• Localized: ~25% of apps (excluding games)
Those numbers, I calculated them myself.
Feeling local makes a difference
• Sky Night X Star Walk: Sky Night (localized)
• Outfit 7: apps in local language get more downloads
• Weather: local apps are more downloaded (even though they
might not be as good or complete)
• Flight tracker apps: local or localized got more downloads
• Medical apps: local or localized apps
• Tools in general: localized apps
• And even games - Gameloft and Disney localize their games
What does it mean going local?
You have the local apps: you have to be local...
What does it mean going local?
• You have the partially localized apps:
• That’s easy - translate your presentation texts at the App Stores
• And that’s it. Just doing this will get you more downloads
What does it mean going local?
• And you have fully localized apps:
• That’s hard - you need everything translated. And it needs to be right
• But you will make yourself a local!
• (People don’t know who’s local. They just assume.)
Paid or Free?
• LATAM: people don’t like to pay. They do. But it’s harder. A partially localized version should be a 1st choice.
• Advertising: you will need a local partner and a lot of impressions - a fully localized app is the best option.
Which platform?
• Apple outnumbers all others in terms of downloads
• You need to check each market for other options (Blackberry still rules in Colombia and Venezuela, for instance)
And how should I do some noise?Total downloads over time
Time
Mobile Media
Earned Media
Paid Media
Own Media
That chart, I calculated it myself too.
A few more “rules”
Universal Rules
• The MVA (Minimum Viable App)
Deciding
• Check your numbers
• Check the app stores (there are a lot of apps for that)
• Research the market when you find one
Preparing
• Run tests to identify localization readiness
• Real estate limitations: languages different than English may break the layout
• A style guide and a glossary will help
Go for it
• Translate
• Find local partners for localization, distribution and monetization
• Have someone in charge