Emerging markets including LatAm are significantly outstripping the west in terms of adoption of Internet-enabled mobile . Read our thoughts on the opportunities that this presents for businesses.

1. Connected world
Technology and the Internet in Latin America
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2. Technology and the Internet in Latin America
Technology use in LatAm
Emerging markets including LatAm are significantly outstripping
the West in terms of technology adoption. Whereas the West is
used to high levels of technology ownership, including PCs, fixed
line telephones and fixed line Internet, Latin America doesn’t have
the same level of infrastructure. Businesses looking to grow their
presence in the region are therefore finding innovative ways of
harnessing the technology that does exist there – one of the
reasons that Internet-enabled mobile is taking off so quickly.
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3. Technology and the Internet in Latin America
Mobile and social mobility Hot products to watch
The future of digital is mobile, particularly in Latin There is a particularly strong interest in tablets in the Country Mobile Internet available on phone
America, where handheld technology is enabling region – stronger than in the US and very close to 2010 2011 2012
and empowering new generations of consumers and European demand levels – and there’s evidence that this
Argentina 30.2 55.1 68.2
increasing social mobility. Lower GDP per capita tends interest is translating into actual purchases more than in
to mean lower levels of tech ownership, but mobile other emerging markets. One in five of Latin American
Brazil 29.9 43.2 70.6
has strong usage levels across the board, with 82% consumers plan to buy a tablet in the next six months
of consumers in Latin America owning a handset. if they don’t own one already. Massive demand for
Chile - 69.4 74.9
In this way mobiles are helping to bridge the divide smartphones is opening up a battle between Nokia’s
between rich and poor, and between people in rural Symbian OS and Google’s Android in the race to bring Colombia 25.2 - 67.1
and urban areas. These are many Latin American phones to market that meet consumer demand, secure
consumers’ only link to the online world, with many share of wallet and start to win the platform wars. Costa Rica - 34.4 -
‘leapfrogging’ web-based sites to skip straight to their
mobile counterparts. For example, many people’s Guatemala 16.8 17.4 -
82%
first experience of online banking will be via their
mobile phone. Mexico 26.7 33.0 79.2
of consumers in Latin America own a handset Source: TNS Mobile Life 2012
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4. Technology and the Internet in Latin America
Correlation between GDP per capita and number of technology devices owned; source: IMF / TNS Mobile Life
Latin American consumers have a far stronger affinity
to content brands compared to other developing
markets. The most accessed brands tend to be global
brands such as Google, YouTube and Facebook. Only
12% of LatAm consumers are accessing Orkut via their
mobiles, versus 25% who are doing so with Facebook,
showing that the latter still has the most potential for
companies looking to engage with new consumers via
social media.
20%
of mobile activity is social networking compare to...
Social media Social networking is the second most popular
The social media revolution is taking over the world, service activity on the mobile in LatAm (20%), behind
32%
and with 34% of LatAm consumers saying they feel uploading photos/videos to a personal computer
they can express themselves better online, the Internet (32%). In addition, consumers are looking to increase
is likely to play a greater and greater role in all kinds the number of activities they are doing in social media,
of social interaction. so there are myriad opportunities for businesses to
get in on the action by providing new online products uploading photos/videos to a personal computer
and services.
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5. Technology and the Internet in Latin America
strategy, but an entirely different medium requiring
Consumers using mobile banking
(Checking bank accounts, making purchases securely its own bespoke approach.
Current tablet Intend to purchase a tablet from mobile)
Country Country
ownership within next 6 months
2010 2011 2012 Also, whilst many companies will be broaching new
territory, the basics still apply. Mobile services still
Argentina 4.7 14.6 Argentina 4.2 8.9 12.2 need to be relevant to consumers, be easy to use,
and – especially given the target market – affordable.
Brazil 9.8 20.9 20.4 Whilst mobile banking service mPesa has revolutionised
Brazil 6.3 17.7
banking in rural Kenya, the same kind of service has
Chile - 11.8 20.2
not flourished in India due to poor service delivery.
Chile 8.4 18.4
Costa Rica - 2.1 - Latin America can learn from these successes and
Colombia 7.1 23.2 failures, but ultimately solutions need to be closely
Guatemala 3.4 1.2 - tailored to the local market: there is no place for a
cookie cutter approach.
Mexico 8.8 20.3
Mexico 0.6 1.8 18.3
Source: TNS Mobile Life 2012
Kenya 5.6 17.7 23.2
Implications for businesses
India 1.9 1.3 1.7
The most enlightened companies are fast capitalising
on the demand for mobile services, recognising that Source: TNS Mobile Life 2012
mobile is not just an extension of a company’s web
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6. About MobileLife
Mobile Life is an annual investigation into behaviours, motivations and priorities of the world’s mobile phone
users. Now in its seventh year, Mobile Life is the most comprehensive view of how the world’s consumers are
using their phones today and the opportunities that this presents for brands. A snapshot of the findings can
be found at www.tnsglobal.com/mobilelife. About the Author
About InFocus James Fergusson is the Global Head, Digital and
InFocus is part of a regular series of articles that takes an in-depth look at a particular subject, region or Technology Practice at TNS, leading a group of global
demographic in more detail. All articles are written by TNS consultants and based on their expertise gathered experts focused on helping clients to apply digital to
fuel their growth strategy.
through working on client assignments in over 80 markets globally, with additional insights gained through
TNS proprietary studies, such as Digital Life and Mobile Life. Australian by birth, James has 18 years’ experience
in market research, across several agencies. James is a
About TNS specialist in technology and telecommunications across
TNS advises clients on specific growth strategies around new market entry, innovation, brand switching and both rapid growth and developed markets. He has
worked with most of the world’s major companies in
stakeholder management, based on long-established expertise and market-leading solutions. With a presence this sector and is increasingly applying working with
in over 80 countries, TNS has more conversations with the world’s consumers than anyone else and understands clients in a more diverse range of sectors.
individual human behaviours and attitudes across every cultural, economic and political region of the world.
TNS is part of Kantar, one of the world’s largest insight, information and consultancy groups.
Please visit www.tnsglobal.com for more information. For more information please visit
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