Social Media around the World 2012 - InSites Consulting

What to expect
from this presentation
Five eye-catching insights on the status of social media based
on a large consumer survey.
>2,000 facts and figures about social media in 19 countries.
The topics cover main adoption and usage, interactions of
consumers with brands, impact of branded conversations,
evolution of mobile and the opportunities for structural
collaboration between consumers and brands.

Studied countries
7,827 consumers (age 15+)
across 19 countries,
representative for the online
population within country on
gender, age and e-commerce.
Data collected by online research panel
provider SSI, field work in Q2 2012, analyses
conducted by research company InSites
Consulting and translations performed by
translation agency No Problem.

Eye-catching
conclusions

1 The social media
landscape is rather
stable

Awareness of social network
sites is very high. Facebook is
close to 100%, Twitter reaches
80% awareness and Google+ is
known by 70%.
More than 7 out of 10 internet
users are member of at least 1
social network. This implies that
more than 1.5 billion people use
social network sites.

The world is not waiting for the
next social network. In fact,
most people want to keep their
digital life as it is.
No need for something new and
no intention to quit.
On average, people only join 1 or 2
social networks.
The Twitter & Google+
paradoxes are living evidence for
this conclusion: both sites are very
well known, but their adoption is
still rather low.

Consumers are willing to join ‘unique’ new social networks
Awareness of new social networks like Instagram and Pinterest is picking up.
25% know Instagram, 24% are aware of Pinterest.
Further, users show a very high intention to use both sites more in the future.

2 Mobile is the perfect
accelerator for social
media usage

Boost in adoption
of smart phones:
51% of internet users
have a smartphone,
most have a data
subscription on it.

On average, people install
22 apps on their
smartphone, 9 of which are
used at least weekly.
Social network apps are the
most popular ones.

53% of smartphone
users compare prices
during shopping via
their smartphone.

3 Consumers connect
and interact with a
limited set of brands

Consumers are
more positive than
you might think.
More than half of their
comments about
brands are positive.
Fewer than 10% are
negative.

Conversation Starters
50% post information about products, brands
and/or companies on social networks.
Product experience
Promotions
Contests
News
Advertising: decreases

55% of social network users
are connected to brands.
10.6
is the average
number of brands
followed
7.0
is the average
number of
brands
followed
actively
5.0
is the average
number of
brands
followers
interact with

Clear expectations from
consumers vis-à-vis brands:
1. Share product info
2. Do promotions
3. Give away free stuff
4. Bring news
5. Use us in co-creation projects

4 Consumers reach
out to brands:
we want to help you!

8/10 consumers want
to help in co-creation
projects of companies
they like.
The only thing they ask
in return: give us
feedback on what you do
with our input.

Market research communities
are highly appreciated by
consumers.
36% prefer to participate in a
branded research community.
These communities come second
after a Facebook community.
Consumers believe that their
feedback will have a high impact
in a research community. The
latter is their key motivation to
help brands.

The customer is open to co-creation, but
many companies are not. The challenge is to
integrate the vision of the customer in every
organization, all the way to the boardroom.

Consumers
are probably the
most effective
consultants your
company can hire.

5 Opportunity for brands
to optimize conversation
potential of consumers

Until now, we
only used the
first dimension
of social media

First
dimension:
build reach

Second
dimension:
collaboration

Structural collaboration
Low High
By combining these
two dimensions,
brands can
optimize
the conversation
potential
of their
consumers.
Each of these quadrants
has value in a
conversation strategy.
Low
High
Reach

Structural collaboration
Low High
Consumer
consulting
board
Broad, open
collaboration
Low
Conversations
High
Customer
experience
Content
Reach

Do you want
to learn more
Well, just keep on reading. The rest of the report is filled with
more than 2,000 facts & figures about social networks.
We hope it can help you in your business cases, it inspires you,
and you will share our work with your friends.
If you have any questions, please let us know:
Marketing@insites-consulting.com
@InSites

Social media behavior
1.

1.
The facts about social media
around the world
Almost 100% of people are aware of Facebook. About 80% have heard of
Twitter and 7 out of 10 people are aware of Google+. Facebook still owns
the social media landscape as more than 60% of the internet population
uses Facebook. Twitter and Google+ have a population of about the same
size (about 20% penetration). However, Twitter usage frequency is a lot
higher than Google+’s.
Around the world we see the same trend: social networks are part of the
daily lives of consumers. 6 out of 10 people go at least once a day to a
social network site.
The awareness of the new photo-sharing platforms Instagram and Pinterest
is still rather limited: 17% are aware of Instagram & 11% of Pinterest. The
results show that both sites have a very strong growth potential.

1.
The facts about social media
around the world
On average, people join 1-3 social networks. The majority have
an account at two sites. Fewer than 10% of people join 5 or
more social network sites.
LinkedIn has an awareness of about 40%. It remains a niche
B2B site with a very clear profile vis-à-vis the market and its
users.
The motivations to use social networks are communication with
friends & family, killing time, sharing photos and sharing
interesting information.

34
> 7 out of 10 internet
users are members of at
least 1 social network.
> 1.5 billion people are
using social networks.

Emerging markets such as
Argentina, Brazil & India have
the highest penetration of
social network usage. Further,
they have the highest usage
frequency and intensity as well.

On average, people join 2.1 social networks.
Most often this is Facebook in combination with
Twitter or LinkedIn. It will become difficult for
new platforms to find their place unless they offer
a complete new value. Instagram & Pinterest have
the highest possibility of finding their place.

LinkedIn continues to have relatively low
awareness. About 4 out of 10 internet
users are familiar with this social network.
LinkedIn keeps it strong niche position
with respect to the B2B market.

2 very strong local players
Vkontakte is big
in Russia:
52% awareness,
35% penetration.
Qzone is big
in China:
63% awareness,
35% penetration.

Top networks
Twitter and Google+ both
have a large number of
people who know them,
but are not members.
Aware and current member
Aware and once a member
Aware, but not a member
Not aware
Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn
Awareness 89% 78% 73% 46%
Membership 58% 23% 25% 16%
Base: Social networkers
Increase in usage (top 2%, 1-5) 42% 42% 52% 40%
Daily log-on 67% 51% 49% 31%
Base: Members of this network

Member profile
All social networks are dominated by men. LinkedIn and Twitter members are most likely to be employed
and have a smartphone.
Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn
Gender
Male 52% 55% 54% 57%
Female 48% 45% 46% 43%
Age
Age
15-24 21% 22% 22% 13%
25-34 28% 32% 31% 31%
35-54 36% 36% 36% 42%
55-99 16% 10% 12% 14%
Smartphone
Smartphone user 53% 67% 63% 68%
Working situation
Employed 57% 67% 56% 64%
Student 12% 11% 11% 12%
Not working 31% 22% 33% 24%
N = Min 878 / F = If member of social network(s)

Awareness, penetration & average number of network membership
95%
73%
1.8
Aware of at least one network 97%
Member of at least one network 75%
Average number of networks one
is member of
1.8
90%
97%
79%
2.0
Emerging
markets Brazil,
Argentina and
India show the
highest rates
for awareness,
penetration and
average # of
memberships.
98%
91%
2.5
98%
85%
97%
82%
82%
52%*
3.0 97%
2.5
2.6
* The 52% and 45% share of social networkers in China and Japan
is low compared to other countries. This might be due to the fact that
some large Chinese and Japanese networks (e.g. RenRen) were not
included in this survey.
72%
1.6
45%
1.0

Awareness, penetration, average number of networks
Aware of at least one network 97%
Member of at least one network 75%
Average number of networks one
is member of
1.8
East
West
97%
74%
1.7
97%
78%
1.9

average
# of networks one is a member of
Japan and Australia have the highest number of
people who are members of only 1 network.
1.8 2.0 1.8 1.6 2.5 3.0 2.6 2.5 1.0
N Europe = 3604 / F = If member of social network(s)

Daily log-on to social media
67%
63%
68%
66%
55%
78%
82%
76%
Daily log-on is highest in
Argentina, Brazil and India.
70%

Daily log on
Q : You are a member of the following social network sites. How often do you log on to these sites (at least daily)
Qzone, Facebook and Vkontakte have the
highest penetration of daily usage.
69% of the Qzone users log on at least
once a day.
N = Min 104 / F = If member of social network

Top 3 networks by membership

Top 3 networks by membership
After Facebook, Vkontakte is
the most popular network in
Eastern Europe.
West
East

Q : To what extent do you know the following social network sites
Network awareness
Total
Global benchmark
Global benchmark
In Europe, Facebook, Twitter
and Google+ are the bestknown
social networks.
N = 5517/ F = None

Q : To what extent do you use the following social network sites
Network membership
Total
Global benchmark
In terms of membership, Facebook,
Google+ and Twitter are most popular in
Europe.
In China, Qzone is most popular. Orkut
is popular in Brazil and India.
N = 5517/ F = None

Pinterest & Instagram
Aware and current member
Aware and once a member
Aware, but not a member
Not aware
Pinterest
Instagram
Awareness 24% 25%
Membership 3% 4%
Base: Social networkers
Increase in usage (top 2%, 1-5) 60% 40%
Daily log-on 51% 31%
Base: Members of this network

Member profile
Pinterest is dominated by women, while Instagram is more of a male thing. Both networks’ members are
very likely to be employed and use a smartphone
Pinterest
Instagram
Gender
Male 39% 43%
Female 61% 57%
Age
Age
15-24 16% 19%
25-34 46% 49%
35-54 29% 24%
55-99 9% 7%
Smartphone
Smartphone user 83% 91%
Working situation
Employed 82% 81%
Student 3% 8%
Not working 15% 10%
N = 229 / 236 / F = If member

Intention
Social media users have
no intention to stop
their membership.
However, 60% of them have
no intention to join
any new networks.

Q : Which of the following networks, of which you are a member, will you stop using
Intention to stop using
Total
Global benchmark
In Europe, members of
Habbo, Hyves and
Myspace are most likely
to stop using these
networks.
N = min 104 / F = If member of social network

Q : Below you can see all the social network sites that you are currently a member of. How will your usage of each of these social network sites evolve in the coming year (I’ll use it (a lot)
more)
Total
Future usage
Global benchmark
Pinterest &
Instagram
are most
likely to
grow in
Europe &
the US.
In China, Brazil
and India,
Twitter,
Facebook and
Google+ are
most likely to
grow.
N = min 104 / F = If member of social network

Future membership
Q : Below you can see all the social network sites that you know but are not a member of. Please indicate which of the network sites below you consider becoming a member of.
Total
Global benchmark
Google+, Facebook and
Instagram are most likely to
gain new members.
N = min 692 / F = Non users: Aware but no member

Drivers to use social media
Q : For which reasons do you use social media
Total
Global benchmark
In Europe, the most
important drivers to use
social media are related to
communication and
entertainment.
N = 4035 / F = If member of social network(s)

Places and occasions to log on to social media
Q : At which places or occasions do you log on to social media
Total
Global benchmark
In Europe and Argentina, over
80% use social media during
leisure time. Compared to other
regions, logging on in bed, on
public transport, or when
waiting in line is far more
popular in China.
N = 4035 / F = If member of social network(s)

Q : At which places or occasions do you log on to social media
Devices used to log on to social media
Total
Global benchmark
The laptop
and desktop
are the mostused
devices.
In China,
mobile
devices are
used far more
often
compared to
other
countries.
N Europe = 4035 / F = If member of social network(s)

Klout is a niche thing.
2 out of 3 internet users
have never heard of it.
Only 9% of social
network members
actively use a Klout
profile.

Klout
Klout is not very known, and has a relatively low user base. Those who do use Klout, are likely to be
employed, own a smartphone and between 25 and 54 years old
Member, active use
Member, but no active use
Aware, but not a member
Not aware
Gender
Age
Smartphone
Male 54%
Female 46%
Age
15-24 15%
25-34 38%
35-54 40%
55-99 7%
Smartphone
Klout
Smartphone user 84%
Working situation
Working situation
Employed 89%
Student 2%
Not working 9%
N = 733 / F = If Klout profile

Actions on social media
2.

2.
Actions on
social media
The key activities on social networks are related to
personal relationships and having fun. People go on
social media to share and read stuff from friends.
Spending time with brands comes last in people’s
priorities. Nevertheless, more than half of the people
do have an online relationship with at least 1 brand.
When people share information about brands,
Facebook and Vkontakte score very high. Further,
46% of the Pinterest users share content about brands
on this new platform. Twitter comes fourth as a place
where consumers share branded content.

2.
Actions on
social media
Conversation starters to talk about brands are in the first
place product experiences, followed by promotions,
service, contests and new products. The impact of
advertising as a conversation starter is decreasing.
The vast majority of the branded content shared by
consumers is positive. Only a small minority of the content
is negative.
Branded conversations by someone that you know has the
highest impact. Conversation from brand fans have less
impact than conversations from ‘normal’ brand users.

Actions on social media
Q The last 10 times you logged on to your social networks, how often did you undertake the following actions
Total
Global benchmark
SHARE SHARE CONSULT
PERSONAL ACTIONS
The most popular
actions on social
media are related to
interaction between
people.
N = 4035 / F = member of social networks

Sharing and consulting brand / product information
Q : The last 10 times you logged on to your social networks, how often did you undertake each of the following actions (% at least once)
37% of social networkers in Europe post information on products, brands and /or companies.
In countries such as China, India, Brazil and Argentina, more than half the social networkers do so.
% social networkers who consult, react and/or post
% social networkers who consult
% social networkers who react
% social networkers who post
West
East
% social networkers who consult, react and/or post
% social networkers who consult
% social networkers who react
% social networkers who post
N Europe = 3604 / F = If member of social network(s)
“Consulting information about products, brands and/or companies”
“Reacting to comments and / or actions of others related to products, brands and / or companies”
“Posting information about products, brands and/or companies”

Pinterest is becoming an
interesting place for
brands. 41% of Pinterest
users share branded
content on their page.

The vast majority of
branded consumers
conversations are
positive. Fewer than
10% are negative.

Biggest conversation
starters are product
experience, promotions,
service and contests.
Role of advertising as
conversation starter
decreases.

Networks to share information
Q: When sharing information about products, brands and/or companies, which social network sites do you use for sharing that information
Total
Global benchmark
In Europe, Facebook and Vkontakte are
the most-used networks to share
information about products and brands.
N = min 93 / F = sharing information on social networks

Q: What exactly do you share then about products, brands and/or companies
Information to share
Total
Global benchmark
Experiences with brands
are the number 1 brand
and/or company-related
subject to share on social
media.
27% of Europeans say their
sharing behavior increased (a
lot) since last year.
N Europe = 2668 / F = sharing information on social networks

Information to share
Q: What exactly do you share then about products, brands and/or companies
When sharing information about products and brands online, the
vast majority of content is shared in a positive way.
Total
Tone of voice
Negative Neutral Positive
Net emotion
score
46
54
40
57
54
48
48
N Europe = 2668 / F = sharing information on social networks

Networks to consult information
Q: When consulting information about products, brands and/or companies, which social network sites do you use for sharing that information
Total
Global benchmark
Facebook is number
one when it comes to
consulting information
about products and
brands in Europe.
N = 2528 / F = consulting information on social networks

Q: What exactly do you share then about products, brands and/or companies
Information to consult
Total
Global benchmark
When people consult
information about
products, brands and
companies, they are
especially looking for
(mainly positive)
experiences others had.
32% of Europeans say
their consulting behavior
increased (a lot) since last
year.
N = 2528 / F = consulting information on social networks

Impact of consulting on buying intention
Q: When you consult information about products, brands and/or companies, does this information have an impact on your intention to buy the product / brand / something of the company
Total
Global benchmark
In Europe, the negative
experiences others had
have the greatest impact
on buying intention.
Positive experiences are a
very close second.
N = 2528 / F = consulting information on social networks

Trust in online information
Q: How trustworthy do you find the information that is posted on social networks by each of the following sources
Total
Global benchmark
N Europe = 4035 / F = If member of social network(s)

Brands & Companies on social media
3.

3.
Consumers know what
they want from brands
55% of the social network users are following at least
1 brand. On average, people follow between 8-12
brands in a passive way and 3-6 brands in an active
way. Most people start following a brand after they
have used their products and were happy with the
result.
Consumers have clear expectations vis-à-vis brands.
People want to receive product information,
promotions and they want to be invited to help the
brand improve the existing products and services.

3.
Consumers want
to help brands
About 8 out of 10 consumers want to help brands. People are
willing to send mails with feedback, use forms on the website or
join social media to collaborate with a brand.
In the first place, people want to help with the improvement of
existing products. A smaller group is interested in brainstorming
about new products and the smallest group wants to help with the
creation of advertising.
A remarkable conclusion, consumers prefer a market research
community to collaborate with a brand. When consumers help a
brand, they want to have impact on that brand. They feel that the
impact will be higher through a research community.

50% of social network users
follow at least 1 brand online.
On average, people follow 8-12
brands in a passive way and
about 3-6 in an active way.

Pinterest is more relevant for brands than Instagram.
41% of Pinterest users post branded content on the site,
versus 35% of Instagram users.

Following brands
52%
12.8
47%
10.6
53%
15.1
66%
6.7
56%
9.8
50%
13.0
61%
56%
14.5
7.8
China has the largest share of
brand followers, whereas in the
US, the highest number of brands
are followed on average.
48%
9.5

Following, actively following & interacting with brands
12.8
9.0
6.8
10.6
7.4
5.5
9.8
15.1
6.7
4.6
9.4
4.7
3.7
5.7
13.0
4.0
10.8
5.5
7.8
14.5
13.2
10.9
4.3
3.4
# brands following
# brands actively following (reading/sharing majority of content)
# brands interacting with (entering into dialogue)
8.5
4.2
3.2

Top 10 most-liked social media approaches
Q: From those brands that you follow, which one’s social media approach do you like the most
Q: What do you like about this brand’s social media approach (General, in order of importance)
Why do people like them
1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.

Sectors for brand following
Q To which sectors do these brands belong
Total
Total
Global benchmark
Food/retail, fashion/luxury
and media/entertainment
are the most-followed
sectors in Europe.
In China, fashion/luxury
and cars are most popular.
N = 2213 / F = If following brands on social networks

Q How did you become an online follower / fan of a brand
Drivers to become a brand follower
Total
Global benchmark
Number 1 driver for
following a brand
online is actual
usage of the brand.
N = 2213 / F = If following brands on social networks

Along with receiving information,
promotions and giveaways,
consumers want to help brands
to improve the existing
products and services.

On average, 8 out of 10
consumers
want to help brands
to improve their offering.
Consumers are very open to
co-creation and
structural collaboration
with brands they like.
The preferred place to
collaborate is through a
market research
community.

Brand expectations (1/2)
Q: On social network sites, brands should…
Total
Global benchmark
Social
networkers
expect brands
to offer product
information and
promotions.
1 in 2 social
networkers think
brands should
invite them to
help improve
products and
services.
N = 4035 / F = member of social networks

Brand expectations (2/2)
Q: On social network sites, brands should…
Total
Global benchmark
1 in 2 social
networkers think
brands should
invite them to
help improve
products and
services.
N = 4035 / F = member of social networks

Willingness to help brands
Q: Imagine a brand or company in a sector that you really like. To what extent would you be willing to help them in improving their overall offering to the market
(% I would like to help occasionally – I would like to help as much as I can)
When people like a brand or company, they
are willing to help it. In China, willingness is
close to 100%. In Australia, willingness is
lower, but 2 out of 3 are still willing to help.
A brand that you really like
A company that offers products of services in a sector or topic that you really like
N = 4035 / F = member of social networks

Preferred channels to help brands
Q: Which of the following channels would you like to use to help companies improve their overall strategy/offering to the market
Total
Global benchmark
The top 4 preferred channels
through which to help
companies are all online,
followed by face-to-face contact.
N = 3596 / F = If willing to help company or brand

Topics willing to help companies with
Q About which of the following topics would you be interested in helping companies
Total
Global benchmark
When it comes to
collaboration,
people are most
interested in the
improvement of
products and
(customer)
services.
Advertising
(development &
improvement) is
least popular.
N = 3596 / F = If willing to help company or brand

Efforts willing to make
Q: To what extent would you be willing to join a community in order to help a company in improving their overall strategy / offering to the market
Total
Global benchmark
65% Among Europeans
willing to help
brands, 57% are
willing to join a
brand-related
community.
N = 3596 / F = If willing to help company or brand

Willingness to join community
52%
57%
70%
82%
55%
59%
61%
63%
Willingness to join a
brand-related community
is highest in China.
63%

Expected rewards
Q: Would you expect something in return for your help
Total
Global benchmark
In return for their
collaboration, most people
expect some recognition or
feedback from the company.
About 1 in 3 Europeans
expect a special offer or
payment.
N = 3596 / F = If willing to help company or brand

Willingness to help vs. experience in helping brands
Willing to help a brand or company in sector that they like
Ever helped a company or brand before
In all regions, the number of people having experience in helping brands
is less than half the number of people willing to provide help.
N = 4035 / F = member of social networks

Mobile phone usage
4.

4.
Boom in
smart phone
usage
51% of the internet population is using smartphones, a majority of
them have a data subscription as well. Android is market leader in this
market, followed by Apple.
Consumers use their smartphone mainly for convenience reasons
and secondly for communication and entertainment reasons.
People with a smartphone are also more intensive social media
users.
On average, people have about 20-25 apps on their phone, but only
use half of them with any frequency. Social network apps are most
often used.

Mobile devices
In Europe, about 1 in 2 internet users have
a smartphone. In China, this is 2 out of 3.
1 2 3 4 5 6
N Europe = 3604/ F = none
1 A regular mobile phone
2 A smartphone, with Internet / data subscription
3 A smartphone, without Internet / data subscription
4 A tablet PC, with Internet / data subscription
5 A tablet PC, without Internet / data subscription
6 None of the above

Mobile devices | Europe
In Europe, 48% are using a
smartphone. Most of them
have an internet/data
subscription.
1 2 3 4 5 6
West
East
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 A regular mobile phone
2 A smartphone, with Internet / data subscription
3 A smartphone, without Internet / data subscription
4 A tablet PC, with Internet / data subscription
5 A tablet PC, without Internet / data subscription
6 None of the above

Mobile operating systems
Android is the most popular operating system. iOS comes second in Europe and most
countries. Symbian is popular in India, BlackBerry is popular in Canada and Argentina.
Windows 7 has a similar (but rather low) share across regions.
N = 2705 / F = Smartphone users

Mobile operating systems
Android is the most-used
mobile operating system in
Europe.
In Western Europe, Apple’s
iOS is number 2. In Eastern
Europe, Nokia’s Symbian is
more popular.
West
East
N Europe = 2229 / F = Smartphone users

Daily internet access via smartphone
Q : Could you please indicate to what extent you use your smartphone to surf on the Internet (% at least daily)
57%
59%
69%
77%
83%
70%
Daily internet
access trough
smartphone is
highest in Japan,
Argentina and
China.
83%
64%
51%
N = 2705 / F = Smartphone users

Daily Internet access via smartphone | Europe
Q : Could you please indicate to what extent you use your smartphone to surf on the Internet (% at least daily)
59%
Over half of European smartphone users have
daily access to the Internet through their
smartphone. In Western Europe, this number is
higher than in Eastern Europe.
East
50%
West
63%
N = 2705 / F = Smartphone users

Reasons not to use a smartphone
Q : Why don’t you have a smartphone
Total
Global benchmark
Most non-smartphone users say
they don’t need one.
N = 2811 / F = non-smartphone users

N = 2705 / F = Smartphone users
53% would like to make
small mobile payments
with their smartphone.

Q To what extent are you interested in the following mobile services
Interest in mobile services (1|2)
Total
Global benchmark
Most mobile services
are related to
convenience,
contact and
entertainment.
N = 2705 / F = Smartphone users

Q To what extent are you interested in the following mobile services
Interest in mobile services (2|2)
Total
Global benchmark
Most mobile services
are related to
convenience,
contact and
entertainment.
N = 2705 / F = Smartphone users

Daily log-on to social media through smartphone
70%
64%
68%
58%
72%
73%
68%
44%
63%
41%
92%
73%
80%
83%
81%
74%
Smartphone users are
more likely to log on
daily to social media.
74%
67%
Smartphone users with or without Internet / data subscription
Non-smartphone users
sig. diff (95%)

Following brands on social media
55%
49%
52%
42%
55%
50%
66%
60%
60%
54%
60%
Smartphone
users are
more likely to
follow brands
on social
media.
68%
49%
70%
57%
44%
55%
39%
Smartphone users with or without internet / data subscription
Non-smartphone users
sig. diff (95%)

Usage of apps for social networking
77%
64%
67%
70%
60%
Penetration of
apps for social
networking is
highest in India,
Argentina and
Brazil.
87%
79%
89%
74%
sig. diff (95%)

Apps
Q : How many apps have you installed on
your smartphone since you started using it
The Australians and the Japanese have the most apps installed.
Canadians have the most brand-related apps installed.
No apps
installed
Apps
installed
N = 2705 / F = Smartphone users
24,1
9.6
7.9
6.8
8.9
24.5
8.8 10.3
11.0
28.0
13.6
10.4
8.4
7.8
5.6
21.9
16.6
6.7 8.2 9.1
5.6 6.4
6.3
4.9
9.3
20.4
19.4
10.3
7.9
5.5 6.8 6.3 4.6
4.8 5.9 28.5
7.4
6.1 5.1
7.9
1 2 3 4 5
N Europe = 1722 / F = If apps installed on smartphone
1 Average number of apps installed
2 Average number of apps used at least once a week
3 Average number of paid apps
4 Average number of brand-related apps
5 Average number of apps that are no longer used

Apps | Europe
Q : How many apps have you installed on your smartphone since you started using it
No apps
installed
Apps
installed
West
East
79% of
Europeans have
apps installed on
their smartphone.
N = 2705 / F = Smartphone users
24,1
25.6
20.1
9.6
7.9 6.8 8.9 8.5 10.2 9.2
7.7
6.4 7.5 8.3
4.5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
The average
number of apps
installed is 24,
but only 8 of
them are used at
least weekly.
N Europe = 1722 / F = If apps installed on smartphone
1 Average number of apps installed
2 Average number of apps used at least once a week
3 Average number of paid apps
4 Average number of brand-related apps
5 Average number of apps that are no longer used

Apps per operating system | Europe
Q : How many apps have you installed on your smartphone since you started using it
No apps
installed
Apps
installed
N = 2705 / F = Smartphone users
48.5
iPhone users install the most apps. They also have the highest
number of paid and brand-related apps.
12.8
15.0
11.1
15.4
19.7
7.4
5 5.2
7.6
10.3
4.9 5.6 5.7 3.6
12
4.5
4.3 3.5
4.7
13
4.9 5.1 5.6 5.1
8.7
3.0
5.0
3.1
6.6
1 2 3 4 5
N Europe = 1722 / F = If apps installed on smartphone
1 Average number of apps installed
2 Average number of apps used at least once a week
3 Average number of paid apps
4 Average number of brand-related apps
5 Average number of apps that are no longer used

Fun & games apps are most popular,
followed by weather forecast apps, apps to
enjoy music & videos, followed by
navigation apps.

Q Below you will find a list of apps. Which of the following apps do you use
Type of apps used (1|2)
Total
Global benchmark
The most popular apps are
mainly related to
convenience, entertainment
and contact.
N Europe = 1722 / F = If apps installed on smartphone

Q Below you will find a list of apps. Which of the following apps do you use
Type of apps installed (2|2)
Total
Global benchmark
The most popular apps are
mainly related to
practicalities, communication
and entertainment.
N Europe = 1722 / F = If apps installed on smartphone

Appendix: Methodology

Survey
• Respondents were invited via e-mail to participate in an online survey. The survey
was created by InSites Consulting, the sampling was done by SSI.
• All data was collected at the same time with the exact same questionnaire.
Sample
• 19 countries were included in the sample: Belgium, the Czech Republic, France,
Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, the United
Kingdom, USA, Japan, India, China, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Canada
• Average sample size per country = 400
• Total sample size = 7,827
Quantitative research
• Online research on online panels
• Representative for country internet populations on gender, age and e-commerce
• Field work conducted during Q2 2012
• Additional weighting was applied based upon online country populations, in order to
obtain a representative sample
• Bases mentioned in the report are unweighted counts

Questions or feedback on
the results Let us know at
Marketing@insites-consulting.com
If you liked the data,
do us a favor and please
share this slideshow
with your network.

Appendix: The research partners

InSites Consulting
InSites Consulting was established in 1997 and, although a marketing
research company, the founders never really wanted to be market
researchers. InSites Consulting is in fact a fantastic mix of academic
visionaries, passionate marketers and research innovators who are
determined to challenge the status quo of marketing research. Over the
last 10 years the company has grown at an amazing 35% a year. Today,
there are more than 130 employees working in five offices (US, RO, UK,
NL, BE) getting their energy from helping world-leading brands to improve
their marketing efforts and to develop deeper connections with
consumers on a global scale via Research Communities. InSites
Consulting has been rewarded with no fewer than 15 international
awards. The recipe for success: a never-flagging enthusiasm, a lot of
hard work, a culture of sharing, and continuous innovation in research
methods and marketing thought leadership. And last but not least:
positively surprising clients every day.
Marketing@insites-consulting.com
www.insites-consulting.com

Field work
The field work for this study was
conducted by SSI:
• SSI helps companies make decisions
• By offering access to consumers and
business professionals
• In 72 countries
• Through online and telephone
methodologies
• For over 3,000 clients across the globe
For more information on how SSI can support the
success of your next project, contact us at
info.eu@surveysampling.com or +31 10 850 5300.
www.surveysampling.com

Our translation agency partner
Your foreign-language communication partner
• Translations
• Copywriting
• User-generated content summaries
• Coding of open-ended questions
• Language consultancy
www.no-problem.be

Appendix: The research team

@TomDeRuyck
@StevenVBe
http://be.linkedin.com/in/stevenvanbelleghem
+32 497 473 444
http://be.linkedin.com/in/tomderuyck
+32 497 885 882
Tom.Deruyck@insites-consulting.com
steven@vanbelleghem.biz
@Dieter_Thijs
http://be.linkedin.com/dieter-thijs/32/766/160
+32 496 43 12 23
Dieter.Thijs@insites-consulting.com

If you want to read more about the InSites Consulting vision on the future of
marketing, take a look at these bestselling marketing books.
Everything you need to know to survive the age
of conversations.
www.conversationmanagement.biz
Find out what drives the new consumer and
how to increase identification with your brands.
Our CRUSH model unveils the road to
successful branding.
www.howcoolbrandsstayhot.com

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