Background
Tech and creative enthusiasts have been leading Gemini adoption. The team wanted to understand who will drive the the next stage of AI product growth in APAC?
Business Goals
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Guide Product with competitive and landscape insights to prioritize use cases and innovation for APAC (xPA)
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Audience expansion beyond early adopters
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Bring the voice of APAC users to global strategy
Research Goals
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Profile potential users of Gemini and understand triggers and barriers to Gemini adoption
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Deep dive on GenAI use cases, value prop & feature prioritization to support GTM strategy
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Equip Global Product and APAC xFn teams with competitive landscape and AI insights in APAC
Opportunities & Challenges
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Challenges: Limited resources and time
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Opportunities:
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Leverage Search, Youtube, social data to guide profiles
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1P data analysis to guide research on use cases
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Collaborate with other UXR teams to include relevant research question
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Research Plan
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Audience & Triggers/ Barriers to Adoption:
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Who are the lower hanging fruits? Design Audience Personas & Opportunity map by uncovering
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Open to AI/ favorable to AI/ haven't tried AI/ have tried but not current users of AI
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Extreme user insights: Top Google users but not current AI users
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Switchers: Current ChatGPT users
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Triggers and barriers to trial/ usage/ switching to Gemini
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Use Cases & Localization
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Focus audience: Current Gemini and Chat GPT users (heavy/moderate/light)
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Deep dive:
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Ontology of use cases by user needs
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language, visual
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User Needs focus xPA AI:
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AI tools adoption by internet user segments
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Mental Models of Gemini, SGE, Search and iGA app (among EIU, PIU users)
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Information needs & the resulting discovery, decision journeys powered by AI (GenAI tools, Social, Search)
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Research Methodology
My Role
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Business questions, xFN alignment, G/R/L model
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Research Plan to prioritize P0 business needs
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Research lead to execution for 2 areas; responsible for synthesizing multiple studies and crafting one APAC POV
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Collaboration with other UXR teams for 3rd area
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Supporting AI sterco, S&O in OKR setting
Qual Insights on localization and benchmarking
Barriers x GenAI Maturity Framework
Unpacking cultural relevance/ resonance for content quality
AI Adoption funnels for opportunity sizing
Audience Opportunity
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Audience research has guided GTM strategy across APAC markets
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Adoption funnels and profiles are driving Marketing and comms planning
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Integrating 1P data showed gaps in internal ontology - this has started a workstream with the Gemini global eng team
Insight & Opportunity recommendations- for Product localization
Use Cases & Localization
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Deep dive on use cases is guiding both 2024 comms and social strategy as well as product roadmap for APAC
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Content and quality localization insights have given contextual needs and expectations from users
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Generative Workshop:
Synthesized insights focused on market specific nuances and user POV.
Key takeaways: App specific navigation, not just localized content but context too, education specific journeys double click
Mental models are evolving and need to double click on how to communicate AI in APAC
Daily Information, discovery and Decision needs Plan
(in progress)
xPA User Needs
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Qual phase has indicated current mental models between SGE, Search, Gemini that give prelim insights for xPA positioning and overlaps in value propositions
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Diary studies on users' information needs are showing interesting shifts in behavior. This research is being complemented with Point in Time surveys to understand saliency of information needs and user journeys
Overall Research Impact
Product Impact
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Insights formed the basis for Gemini GTM that increased DAUs above target
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Global Product teams across Gemini and SGE collaborated in workshops to activate recommendations for two P0 APAC markets
Strategic Impact
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xFn and G/R/L collaboration saved 3 months, 80k USD and encouraged user first (not PA) approach
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Research is a core pillar for the AI steerco and secured 350k in additional funding
Culture of insights
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Spearheaded AI Insights Office hours, AI Insights Day (attended by 100+ Googlers)
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This research plan generated foundational insights that are activated across P&E, DS and Ads PA
