Mobile marketing strategy development in China, Japan and South Korea : An Apple App Store example

Abstract: The purpose of this master thesis is to test an individual influence of separate factors on a mobile software development company’s position in a rating of Top Grossing applications in Asian countries, explain how these factors could be interpreted from a modified 4P framework perspective and understand how a mobile developer can adjust its strategy based on the identified factors. The research is based on a ranking data of 90 finance management applications for iPhone on the App Store of China, South Korea and Japan. The hypotheses about an existence of causal relationships between the identified factors and software’s position in the rating of Top Grossing finance mobile applications were tested. The research is based on a multiple regression analysis, conducted separately on the Chinese, South Korean and Japanese markets.   In the findings of the research the authors state that a position of financial mobile software in the Apple App Store rating of Top Grossing applications is determined by a unique set of factors, which vary across the studied Asian markets, while a number of factors converge. The models designed for the markets of China, South Korea and Japan allow to identify which factors can potentially elevate the position of an application in the rating of the most profit generating financial programs (Top Grossing rating) and based on that gain an understanding of the way a mobile software company’s marketing strategy could be adjusted to better meet customers’ needs on the studied markets.   The originality of this master thesis is in the development of a new approach to the analysis of a mobile software development company’s performance regarding its position in Top Grossing ranking. Since the market of mobile applications emerged only in 2008 the factors influencing the performance of mobile developing companies have not been theoretically discussed before.