Android One and the Future of Digital Marketing in Emerging Markets

Today, Google announced that it will target OEMs in order to bring down the costs of manufacturing smartphones in emerging markets (Source: TechCrunch). Google SVP Sundar Pichai said that only 10% of users in India and other developing countries own smartphones.

By making smartphones cheaper, more people around the world will be able to access information on the go. This strategy will not only eat into Google's competitor's share of the world mobile phone market, but will further solidify gains made by locking early adopters into the Google ecosystem and app store. Google Maps and Earth data will play a large role in helping the company dominate Location Based Services in these new markets.

Should this strategy be successful, digital marketers will have access to a new pool of consumers. As emerging and transitional economies continue to grow - and traditional markets slow down, including powerhouses like China - internet advertisers must stay vigilant in ensuring they capture these markets before their competitors do.