Photo source: Rodion Kutsaev | Unsplash
Mobile data usage is growing exponentially: The consequences for brands & packaging industry
Thomas Reiner | 15.10.2021
Mobile data usage is growing exponentially and will more than quadruple in the next 5 years. Brands and the packaging industry have to react to this, especially through packaging. Time is pressing. Because those who hesitate will lose.
Mobile data usage is predicted to increase from 51 exabytes (EB) per month today to 226 EB per month in 2026. That’s a fourfold increase! As early as 2022, an increase of more than 15 percent to then 68 EB per month – where 1 exabyte equals one billion gigabytes.
The dynamics of this growth are impressive and the result of an unbroken “migration movement” of more and more people into the world of the mobile internet.
The growth is not only quantitative, but also qualitative. The mobile internet is being used more and more intensively. More and more data (and computing power) is being consumed, and more and more data is being generated simultaneously through use.
Implications – for brands
The increasing use of the mobile internet is changing both the expectations of consumers and their purchasing behaviour. This trend will gain strength parallel to the further increase in digitalisation. Brands and the packaging industry must react to this in order not to disappoint the expectations and demands of their customers.
Implications for packaging
Changing consumer expectations, but also changing distribution channels, have strong implications for packaging. Trends and developments that have already started, such as standardisation, individualisation and commoditisation of packaging, will continue to come to a head.
Brands and industry must react with their offers. And they must not lose any time in doing so. Because digitalisation will bring few winners, but many losers. Those who do not move fast enough now will not be able to catch up later.
