Articles

Digital Imaging Trends in Emerging Markets

InfoTrends surveyed emerging markets (including China, Brazil, Mexico, and India) and found some interesting facts:

  • Chinese take 2.5 times more digital camera photos than U.S. consumers and nearly 3 times as many camera phone photos.
  • Printing among mobile phone users in Brazil is nearly as common as among digital camera users.
  • Two-thirds of digital camera users in India say that they would use their mobile phone as their primary camera if it took better pictures and if it was easier to send photos by e-mail.

These and other insights are garnered from a combination of online surveys and face-to-face interviews of approximately 500 consumers in each country.

PRESS RELEASE

InfoTrends Releases Emerging Markets Study on Consumer Imaging in China, Brazil, Mexico, and India

Opportunities Abound Worldwide

Weymouth, MA (Vocus/PRWEB) March 29, 2011

According to a recent multi-client study from InfoTrends, the emerging markets of China, Brazil, Mexico, and India represent some of the most photo-active populations in the world and offer promising opportunities for the digital imaging market. InfoTrends gained insights into these markets from a combination of online surveys and face-to-face interviews of approximately 500 consumers in each country.

“More photos captured means more opportunities to monetize them; through sharing, storage, printing or the creation of personalized photo products,” states Ed Lee, a Group Director at InfoTrends.

InfoTrends found that while these markets are still in the early stages of adoption of digital photography, there are significant, though different, opportunities for digital imaging vendors in each. Chinese digital camera users, for example, take more than 2.5 times more digital camera photos than U.S. consumers and nearly 3 times as many camera phone photos. At the same time, unlike other countries, printing among mobile phone users in Brazil is nearly as common as among digital camera users.

Two-thirds of digital camera users in India say that they would use their mobile phone as their primary camera if it took better pictures. Improved resolution and zoom lens capabilities were also cited as necessary improvements by a number of respondents, but nearly as many say that they would be more likely to use their mobile phone if it was easier to send photos by e-mail. Offerings for printing photos captured by mobile phones will need to increase to ensure that all types of photographers have viable solutions for their output needs.

In China, there is a significant opportunity in photo printing, due to the large number of photos that are captured. Since Chinese consumers still rely primarily on retail photofinishing, retailers there should continue to develop easy in-store solutions that allow people to print digital photos, regardless of whether they own a personal computer or not.

Mexicans that use digital cameras and mobile phones also tend to do a lot with their photos, such as sharing online and creating photo merchandise. The self-serve photo kiosk in particular is a popular location for ordering photo merchandise items as well as prints in Mexico.

The results of this study, Emerging Markets for the Consumer Imaging Industry – A Study of Brazil, Mexico, India and China, will help digital imaging vendors and suppliers understand the dynamics of these emerging markets as well as what is necessary to be successful in each. These reports:

Identify and profile current and future users of digital photography hardware, software, and services by country
Consider behaviors associated with technology adoption, purchase, and use
Analyze product preferences
Examine digital camera and digital photo activities
Study consumers’ use of mobile phones and smartphones:

-Photo capture, transfer, sharing, and printing behavior
-Look at the use of photo sharing sites

Evaluate photo printing behaviors and variations by demographics and by channel:

-Home, Retail, Online

Identify unmet consumer needs

The study also addresses critical questions around digital cameras and camera phones, photo printing and photo gifts, mobile and online behavior, and other digital photo activities.

InfoTrends, a Questex company, is the leading worldwide market research and strategic consulting firm for the digital imaging and document solutions industry. We provide research, analysis, forecasts, and advice to help clients understand market trends, identify opportunities, and develop strategies to grow their businesses. Additional information about InfoTrends is available on the Web at http://www.infotrends.com.