Channel Roundup September 2014

iOS8 is finally here, Twitter’s ad targeting gets smarter, WeChat teams up with Dairy Queen and others in China, mobile users are spending more time in-app

iOS 8 in review
Last year’s launch of iOS 7 brought with it a few new features – most notably a new ‘flat’ design – but Apple was clearly setting the stage for a major facelift for its mobile operating system. The first upgrade was launched in September, along with the much-anticipated iPhone 6, which has so far received a very warm welcome in the market. iOS 8 brings with it a plethora of new features, including third-party keyboards, camera controls, widgets, home automation, health and fitness tools and the ability to interact with other apps.

Objectively, iOS 8 feels a little like Apple is playing catch-up with features that Android users have been enjoying for years. But the update does go a long way towards giving iPhone and iPad users a better experience and is the future for those who are a part of Apple’s ecosystem (Macbook on their desk, iPhone in their pocket, Apple Watch on their wrist…).

Twitter enhances ad targeting features
In a move towards giving advertisers a more compelling reason to use Twitter for promotional purposes, they will now be able to target consumers by their mobile phone numbers and mobile ad IDs on Android and iOS devices using new features on Twitter’s self-service ad dashboard. Another new Twitter capability allows marketers to find potential customers similar to existing users who have already downloaded applications.

China’s WeChat introduces in-store payments for Dairy Queen and eight other chains
As Pingwest reports, Chinese WeChat users will spot a new ‘Small Payments’ (shuaka, or ‘swipe card’, in Chinese) feature in the ‘Wallet’ section of the app. Pressing the icon and entering their password for WeChat Payments will generate a QR code or a barcode that retailers can scan to accept payments for in-store purchases. Vendors on board for the feature’s initial rollout include Dairy Queen, Guoda Pharmacies, department store chains Tianhong and Minsheng Baihuo, supermarket chains One Plus One and Lotus, convenience store chains Hao Lingju and Guoda 365, and childcare chain Aiyingshi.

Time spent in apps increases by 21% over 2013
New data from mobile marketing platform Localytics suggests that the time mobile users spend actually using apps is increasing, with a 21% jump year-on-year over 2013. Music, social and health and fitness apps show the most significant increases. The study was based on data from Localytics’ customer base which includes 28,000 applications installed across 1.5 billion devices.

This data backs up other market analyses – for example, Nielsen reports that, as of Q4 2013, consumers are now spending an average of 30+ hours per month using apps and have an average of 26.8 apps installed on their devices.

Agneta Gumaelius, www.redant.com