Analysis of smartphone-related keyword searches of non-Japanese manufacturers like OPPO

To gauge the level of awareness of each manufacturer, let's look at the number of searches for the most recent year using Dockpit, an online behavior analytics tool.

OPPO was, by far, the most popular brand, followed by ASUS, and then Huawei. The popularity of OPPO is evident.

OPPO is a Chinese smartphone manufacturer that announced its entry into the Japanese market in January 2018. Although the manufacturer is still relatively unfamiliar in Japan, it is available in more than 50 countries and regions around the world and has established a strong global position with the fourth largest market share in the world.

In addition, the company has earned a reputation for being quick to enhance its features, such as its camera functions and quick charging capabilities, in response to market needs, especially among younger consumers. In particular, with regards to cameras, the company seems to be focusing on research and development of cutting-edge camera technology, including the world's first smartphone with a "beauty mode" (automatic retouching) and the world's first camera capable of capturing images in one billion colors.

Huawei is a Chinese manufacturer that pioneered the SIM-free smartphone and tablet market in Japan. As of 2019, Huawei is among the top three global manufacturers and ranks third in terms of global handset shipments .

Apart from smartphone-related businesses, the company is in the telecommunication/network business, ICT solution business for corporate customers, and device business for consumers, and is focusing on the SIM-free device business in Japan.

In addition, the company is developing highly-functional products by leveraging its world-class technological capabilities, such as promoting the global expansion of 5G for business, and has a full lineup of products ranging from low-priced to highly-functional models.

ASUS is a Taiwan-based PC and peripheral equipment manufacturer founded in 1989, and its own brand Eee PC, which they had around 2008, was one of the products that inspired the creation of the low-priced laptop category called Netbook, which further raised ASUS' recognition.

The main product lineup includes laptops, desktop PCs, gaming PCs, PCs for creators, LCD monitors, gaming devices, PC parts, smartphones, and tablet devices.

Incidentally, the official pronunciation of the brand was not announced at first, and there were several pronunciations such as "A-soos" and "E-soos," but in September 2012, it was officially announced that the its pronunciation is "Ei-soos."

First, let's look at the number of people who searched within the last year.

We found that "OPPO" was hovering around 700,000 searches, about twice as many as "Huawei" and "ASUS." "OPPO" had close to 800,000 searches in December 2021, but after peaking in that month, the number of search users has gradually declined.

The number of people searching “Huawei” and “ASUS” also appear to be declining in 2022.

Next, let's look at the attributes.

By gender, more than half of the respondents were male with the overall tending to be male.

However, the percentage of women varied by manufacturer, with "OPPO" having the most, then "Huawei," followed by "ASUS," and OPPO had a higher percentage of women by 13.6 points compared to ASUS.

By age group, we found that overall, a higher percentage of respondents were in their 40s.

However, with regard to the people in their 20s, it was also notable that "ASUS" was 2 points higher than "All Internet users."
As mentioned later in the article, this may be due to the inclusion of game displays in the "ASUS" product lineup.

Finally, let's take a closer look at the search needs of each manufacturer using Word Network.

Points of interest were concentrated on smartphone model names and communication speeds, with "A" and "A73" for the A series, "RENO" and "RENO5" for the Reno series, and "5G."

Regarding the model name, we found that respondents were searching for "case" in addition to "specs," "comparison," and "differences."
Regarding 5G, we also found that they are interested in whether or not each model is 5G-compatible.

Next, let's look at "Huawei."

The key point of user interest was concentrated on smartphone model names and smartwatches, with "NOVA" from the nova series, "PRO" and "LITE" for some of the names, and "WATCH" for the HUAWEI WATCH and "BAND" for the Band series.

As for the names of the models, they are interested in the name of each model. In addition to the type of smartwatch, words such as "review" and "differences" also stood out.

Finally, let's take a look at "ASUS.”

The key point of user interest was concentrated on monitors and PCs, with the names of gaming displays (gaming monitors) like "GAMING," "TUF" and "ROG" being frequently searched, then "laptop" and programs like "BIOS."

Model names are prominent regarding monitors, and with regard to computers, in addition to model name and 'evaluation,' people are also interested in 'how to set up' and 'how to update.'

*The official name for the acronym BIOS is Basic Input Output System. It is installed on the motherboard, which is the foundation of a PC, and is an essential program for both desktop PCs and laptops.

Using the keyword analysis in Dockpit, we researched and analyzed foreign manufacturers OPPO, Huawei and ASUS.

User needs were all distinctive, with people showing interest in smartphones for OPPO, smartwatches in addition to smartphones for Huawei, and gaming monitors and computers for ASUS.

The number of users searching for the product shows that OPPO, a new manufacturer, has made its presence known.

By using analytics tools like Dockpit, it is possible to better grasp user needs and images. Please make use of these tools for better content creation and optimal information provision by correctly understanding your objectives and targets to firmly capture the hearts and minds of your users.

・Dockpit analysis based on online activity data and attribute information with the cooperation of participants nationwide
・Period of activity log analysis: August 2021 to July 2022
・Volume is estimated based on the domestic online population, based on the rate of participants among participants owned by VALUES.
・Target devices: PC and smartphone

The data in this research is from Dockpit, an analytics tool with online behavior log data and user demographic information under the permission of panelists in Japan presented by VALUES, Inc.

※The numbers of users are estimated by the data in the monitor and the internet population in Japan.