Insights from emerging markets

According to the HSBC report on the state of the global economy, rapid growth and emerging markets are the only cause for cheer amid a generally gloomy outlook. While the rest of the world tries to ascertain which letter of the English alphabet best fits the shape of the economy, wondering whether it will be a V or a W shaped recovery, the Chinese are very clear about the inexorably cyclical nature of everything and swear by the letter "O" as their model of human existence. Currently they, along with India and several other emerging markets, are on the ascending arc of the letter "O"; so while they are achieving sterling growth and an increasing standard of living for their citizens, the rest of the world is struggling to maintain a balance between creating jobs and controlling budget deficits.

The world is indeed changing - emerging markets are not just the quantitative leaders; they are also creating trends in areas where historically one would expect the developed world to lead. We all recognize that the Internet is changing our lives and our businesses in an unprecedented way. But when we say this, we normally have the developed world in mind. However, more and more it is emerging markets which are leading the digital revolution.

One such area is the usage of convergence devices and mobile Internet usage. As two articles in this issue demonstrate, it is consumers in emerging markets, who are innovating in the face of scarcity and adversity and adopting the mobile Internet to improve their lives. These articles provide insights and implications into rapidly growing Internet usage in South East Asia and Africa.

In our regular "Letter From China" we look at the uniqueness of China's Internet usage and the importance of leveraging Clickstream data to provide a holistic consumer understanding in the world's biggest online market. This issue of GEMs also has a fascinating article that looks at the keys to winning in the Traditional Trade which drives the vast majority of goods moved within rapid growth and emerging markets - a must read for anyone marketing products and services in rapid growth and emerging markets.

Finally, we also introduce the first article in a new series entitled "View from the Trenches: 10 things you won't learn on Google". The focus of this first article is on India. We hope you enjoy the assortment of snippets and insights from rapid growth and emerging markets in this issue.

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