Run Forrest! Run like the app downloads are running in lockdown!
Amid the existing chaos of the lockdown, app downloads have seen a spiking trend. Half of the earth’s population is staying home day and night, figuring out how to balance their schedules and keep busy. In this process, mobile applications have become their best friends. According to reports, app downloads in 2020 on android and iOS combined have grown by 15% since the last quarter of 2019, counting to a whopping 31 billion!
You have to do the best with what God gave you
A mixture of sentiments fuels this phenomenon. Firstly, the four walls of people’s rooms are unable to contain the urge to meet friends, eat out or simply change the air, especially in younger millennials and gen Zers. Tik-Tok has always appealed to these users because of its ease and versatility. Also by its relevance in the pop culture and influencer reach. It saw a total of 1.5 billion downloads after numbers rapidly multiplied in the start of 2020. It has now become the most downloaded app in the world followed by WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram.
Moreover, apps like V-mate and Uvideo have also risen to fame. These follow a similar short-video format for the users and allow them to share it with other users on the app and their other social media handles. With the reducing attention spans, these became a great way to share content and gratify the urge to connect with other people in an instant.
The concept of connecting through videos has also boosted the download of the Zoom app. Professionals around the world, working from home, created the need for a convenient app to connect with their teams. Zoom not only offers the video call and chat options but has gesture reaction options and allows up to a hundred participants even without upgrading to the premium plan. The world can stop but meetings really cannot.
An unusual activity gives way for other unexpected activities, the best examples of which are the news applications. Their download is promoted by the unending paranoia experienced by the population across the globe. Being aware has become a necessity and it’s better to know and worry than imagining worse scenarios in your head, right? Apps like Aaj Tak, The Hindu and Times Of India are filing the storage space in mobile phones like never before. It appears like the situation has most people on alert mode.
I never thanked you for saving my life
For people at home, the most important thing is not being bored. The need is serious as quarantine can badly impact the mental state of a person. Going out, socialising and searching for entertainment and working has come to a halt which was a source of happiness for many. At this time, having an app that can distract one from going into depression is like a lifesaver. OTT entertainment applications- Prime Video from Amazon, Netflix and Hotstart increased their market share, only second to which in India, is Jio Tv.
Online collective gaming applications also experienced a boom in downloads. App developers and parent companies didn’t even have to spend much additionally to market these applications. With everyone free and looking for something to do, the download of these apps spread like wildfire. The effectiveness of word of mouth is indeed clear in this scenario. Houseparty became a significantly popular application in India. Stream, on the other hand, captured 20 million users and Discord increased its worldwide capacity by 20%, all in the first quarter of 2020.
What’s my destiny, Mama?
Nobody can say what the future holds, but the fact that longing for social interaction only grows stronger. The need for having conversations and feeling intimate, even while staying apart has given Bumble a huge number of new users. The app also expanded its matching range from 100 miles to anyone across the country. This is because apart from being a dating app, it offers ‘friendship’ and ‘work’ features, unknowingly but accurately designed to capture the audience in a situation like the lockdown.
Moreover, there is also a surge in the educational app downloads. The best time to learn is when one has no distractions. Students are downloading apps like Biju’s to catch up on school work and zoom to attend classes virtually. The Up-Grad app and many language learning apps have also become popular.
Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get
Be it sentiments, opportunity or chance, when a worldwide event happens its impacts life, economy and even the planet. Some of these will be hard to counter and some will be considered good. Unpredictability, however, has engulfed all markets and each brand is revisiting its strategy. Understanding the prevailing sentiments can give way to reach the audience better and keep your customers attached to your ideology.
Comments