Trends For 2013 According to TrendWatching: Emerging²
Think Chinese and Brazilian brands selling to the middle classes in Turkey, India or South Africa. Or vice versa.
On top of that, with these emerging market brands having cut their teeth operating in fast-rising emerging markets and catering to ever-more important emerging middle classes, expect even more of the next global mass market powerhouses to come from emerging markets.
The numbers sure are juicy: in 2013, the GDP of emerging markets will exceed advanced markets for the first time (measured in Purchasing Power Parity terms) to USD 44.1 trillion versus USD 42.7 trillion (Source: IMF, October 2012).
One exercise for anyone (whether you’re in an emerging market or not) with global ambition: ask yourself who are the new power players in your industry?
Examples
WeChat: Chinese messaging app reaches 200 million users globally
Tencent’s WeChat, the Chinese voice, text and photo messaging service has changed its name from 'Weixin', to have broader global appeal. In September 2012 the service added Hindi support in India, having already added Portuguese (for the Brazilian market) and Indonesian. It recently topped 200 million users worldwide.
Peak Games: 3rd largest social gaming platform
Turkey-based Peak Games is now the third largest social gaming platform worldwide, with 30 million monthly active users across Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa. The company saw Q1 2012 revenue increase tenfold compared to Q1 revenue in 2011.
Amazonas Sandals: Brazilian flip flops in China
In October 2012 Brazilian sandals brand Amazonas Sandals announced plans to open a store in Guangzhou, China, in early 2013. Amazonas Sandals source sustainable raw materials from Brazil's native rubber trees, and their sandals are made with 80% recycled material.
Lenovo: Asian smartphone strategy
In October 2012, Lenovo started selling a range of smartphones in Indonesia, from the high-end K860 with an 8 megapixel camera and 8 GB of memory, down to more affordable smartphones. The manufacturer also announced that it would launch a smartphone for the Indian market by March 2013, looking to build on its position as the second largest smartphone maker in China.
BluePad: Colombian tablet available throughout Latin America
Compumax has launched the first Colombian tablet designed and made in Bogota. The BluePad has a 7-inch screen, runs Android 4.0, and has a 4 GB SSD drive, expandable via Micro SD to 32 GB. The product costs USD 214 – making it the most affordable tablet in the market – and can also be purchased in Venezuela and Ecuador.
