SuperApps and Super Experiences
Volume 1
/Business, Technology, Metropolis
Writer: Thea Betts
/Art Direction: Derek Rosenstrauch
Over a year ago, I had my first encounter with a SuperApp — an app that offers a wide range of services and features. Sitting in an Airbnb in Dubai, I used an app to get from the airport to my accommodation, but also to order groceries, arrange parcel pick-ups, pay utility bills, send money, and even request a COVID PCR test. For a Kiwi, the convenience and versatility of this all-in-one app was new and overwhelming. At the same time, it was intriguing and exciting. This raised the question: are SuperApps the future of digital channels, with the promise of super experiences for all? Would consolidated services remain appealing or is feature bloat an inevitable side effect?
First, what is a SuperApp?
SuperApps have been around for over a decade and have become increasingly popular across Asia and the EMAR region (Eastern Mediterranean, Arab, and Middle East). As elsewhere, our devices are an extension of our daily lives and, worldwide, we spend an average of 4+ hours per day on apps solving everyday problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves. SuperApps, however, are a single, one-stop shop for unlocking multiple services and experiences, all consolidated under a single brand for consistency and convenience.
SuperApps are described as closed ecosystems of applications that offer a seamless, integrated, contextualized, and efficient experience. Their dominance within Asia is growing across industries: transport, shopping, financials, and more. Creating a single experience is no longer enough — the application needs to span across industries and provide convenience and ease-of-use for their customers. Some of the benefits include augmented consumer convenience and efficiency, increased user engagement and loyalty, boosted revenue, and enhanced data access.
SuperApps... offer convenience, efficiency, and a seamless experience that will become the norm.Source Mike Lazaridis, Co-Founder of Blackberry
The Rise of The Everything App
Several key factors have contributed to the growth and prevalence of SuperApps within Asia's densely populated regions, including:
SuperApps shape everyday life in Asia
SuperApps have become an essential part of daily life across Asia, and many brands have leveraged their unique characteristics to expand beyond initial offerings. For instance:
Grab (Singapore)
Originally a ride-sharing app, Grab has expanded its services to include food delivery, insurance, payment wallets, buy now pay later (BNPL), and more. With over 24 million monthly users across Southeast Asia, Grab has created a comprehensive ecosystem that offers convenience and accessibility.
AirAsia (Malaysia)
Initially an airline, AirAsia has diversified its offerings to include flights, hotels, food delivery, insurance, and wallets. With approximately 13 million monthly active users in 2023, AirAsia has transformed into an Everything App, catering to various travel-related needs.
Jio (India)
With roots in telecommunications, the Jio app — with an estimated user base of almost 400M — has spread into a contemporary SuperApp covering telco & utilities, payments, entertainment and cinema, news, games and its own marketplace, Jio-mart.
Do SuperApps translate to the Western World?
At the core of a good SuperApp is a cohesive, seamless ecosystem of intertwined experiences that bring value to customers, and the business. It's worked across Asia, so surely, it's only a matter of time before traction grows in the Western World, right?
The dominance of SuperApps could stifle innovation and limit consumer choice.Source: Tim Cook, CEO of Apple
Perhaps the most well-known example of a cohesive ecosystem outside of Asia is the Apple Ecosystem. While not a consolidated SuperApp, it is a consistent platform and brand experience that began with personal computers and extended into music, payments, fitness tracking, messaging, and more. Customers who use multiple Apple products benefit from the seamless connectivity across experiences. Apple has carefully considered the micro-transitions and associated customers journeys within these experiences to focus on delivering real value to customers.
Another example is X, a proto-Everything App with an ambitious goal to extend the social platform from 140-character tweets into an ecosystem that supports payments, private messaging, video calling, and more. X owner Elon Musk has spoken repeatedly about his desire to build a SuperApp akin to China's WeChat. While he acknowledges concerns about data privacy, monopolies, and competition associated with SuperApps, he envisions them playing a significant role in financial inclusion, particularly in emerging markets.
Still, we have yet to see the rise of the SuperApp in the West. Instead, brands are focused on hyper-personalized experiences across a multi-product suite. For example, Google and the Meta Group both require download and authentication for separate, single-use applications and require the user to navigate between each different application, irrespective of cross-product interactions.
The Road Forward
Are connected and super-experiences the way of the future? I believe so, but will those super experiences always be in the shape or form of a SuperApp? Unlikely. Products and services should always be rooted in how we deliver value and create impact for the end-customer. Before shifting gears and jumping on the SuperApp bandwagon, take the following steps:
- Define your audience — Carefully consider the demographics, cultural preferences, and user expectations of your target audience. SuperApps thrive on condensed multi-feature applications but Western audiences tend to prefer simplicity and white space, so it's crucial to strike the right balance.
- Lead through data-driven, meaningful experiences — Leverage the data you have to create relevant offerings that resonate with your audience.
- Maintain simplicity and clarity of customer goals & journeys — Ensure that your information architecture, navigation, and partnerships align with your customers' core goals and needs. Creating a SuperApp should not be a race towards feature proliferation. Instead, anchor yourself to the customer problems you are solving.
- Think big, start small— Explore new ways to engage users and deliver unique value. Adapt and refine your super experience based on user feedback and changing trends.
- Consider the complexity of development and maintenance— As your offering expands, stay committed to continuously delivering excellent experiences to your users. Adding features and journeys could complicate workflows or fragment the experience.
SuperApps are the next battleground for global tech supremacy. Whoever wins this race will control the digital lives of billions.Source: Martin Wolf, Chief Economics Commentator at the Financial Times.
Globally, companies must carefully consider their customers, brand promise, and the value they are providing to address true customer pain-points and tangible business value. Insightful research should be prioritized alongside data to understand, and address customer needs in a way that aligns with the wider zeitgeist and cultural consideration. Balancing business needs, with customer desires will look different across industries — does one trust their bank in the same way they trust a ride-hailing service?
As for me, I strongly believe that chasing the SuperApp dream of a one-stop-shop will result in diluted experiences that add little value to businesses and customers alike. That being said, there is an opportunity for SuperApps to thrive in emerging markets and untouched industries. What if financial services created a financial hub that helped you reach your economic potential and unlock life goals? Or can healthcare build connected experiences across care, well-being, and fitness?
Inter-connected experiences designed with purpose could help users beyond the East understand why SuperApps are more than hype and ask businesses and consumers alike if Super-Experiences are the missing piece. It may be time to put on our thinking caps and go beyond the expected, to bring the next generation of SuperApps to our everyday lives.