The adverse economic effects brought by theCOVID-19pandemic caused a decline in smartphone sales across several regions. The SEA (South East Asian) market, which includes countries likeIndonesia,Vietnam,Thailandand the Philippines, was no different. But as the lockdown restrictions are now easing, thismarket is seeing good recovery. There is not one, but several factors responsible for the growth, and we are going to talk about these in our latest podcast.
The lockdown period brought upon the pent-up demand, and smartphone makers are coming up with aggressive marketing strategies to cater to the users. Competitive pricing and innovative marketing strategies such as shopping throughWhatsApphave helped smartphone makers bounce back. E-commerce platforms are also running promotional sales with discounts and more, which has further helped the growth. With users concerned about exchanging currency notes that could spread the COVID-19 virus, digital payments are slowly replacing cash.
In the latest episode of ‘The Counterpoint Podcast’, hostMaurice Klaehneis joined by research associateTanvi Sharmato talk about the SEA smartphone market. The discussion revolves around the impact of coronavirus on the smartphone market, brand strategies, and the shift from offline to online sales. The episode also highlights how brands are recalibrating and diversifying production to ensure minimal disruption if such a situation arises again.