As you all know, world nowadays, everything can be controlled by your own fingertips. To search information, to connect with friends and family, to share pictures, send documents and what not, they can be done through INTERNET. The Internet brings us into globalization era. With the presence of Internet, a lot of social networking sites emerged. It is not been utilized through computers/laptops only, even now it can be fully utilized with your smartphone.
Before this, we have Facebook, Twitter and Skype, now on our mobile, we have Asian social networks such as WeChat (from China) and Line (from Japan), who become rivals to Whatsapp. Both can allow users to make free calls, send instant messages and post funny short videos and photos. They are actually take attributes from Facebook, Skype and messaging application WhatsApp and roll them all together.
Last month, Line executives went to France and Italy for a public relations offensive. It was aimed to raise awareness of their mobile application. It is a success, because the app already downloaded by 230 million users around the world including 47 million in Japan itself.
The app is already known and widely used in Europe. In Spain, Line has built partnerships with football clubs such as FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. Other than that, they are also partners with other brands such as Coca-Cola or tennis star Rafael Nadal. For FC Barcelona, at their homepage of the app where they posted several photos, has already attracted more than 8.2 million friends. Apparently, Line obviously expands their wings when they have their own permanent office in Spain, where it counts some 15 million users already.
After a brief research, it proved that one of the main selling points for Line is its "stickers", which is a funny, cartoon-like figures that express emotions in a way deemed far more original and fun than traditional emoticons.
Same with WeChat, users can post figures or cartoons/characters that can dancing, blowing kisses or cry to express the feelings. Both social networks (WeChat and Line) are also supply a selection of "stickers" that users need to pay for. This is how they satisfy the users and at the same time generate profit by it. This can be proved when users bought eight million euros (RM35.16mil) worth of stickers. Other than that is through sale of games integrated in the mobile app and from partnerships and products on the side.
Enough with Line, WeChat is also equally impressive as Line. It has been translated into 19 languages, the social network has 500 million users, including 100 million outside of China, and plans to launch in France towards the end of the year.
While Line has Real Madrid, WeChat has enrolled the help of Argentinian football star such as Lionel Messi. Messi has been chosen by WeChat as their ambassador of the brand.
Renaud Edouard-Baraud, who heads up an Asia consulting branch of the BNP-Paribas bank and advises WeChat said “The French of Chinese origin or the Canadians of Chinese origin, for instance, are the bridge between China and the rest of the world.” There you go, you can see their strategy right?
Both of this application can replaced traditional text messaging and also seen as the simple type of Facebook and Twitter. If China and Japan can do that, we are also can come out with our new version of mobile application that can beat them. Do not be surprised if in the future, Asia controls the Europe!
Source : http://www.thestar.com.my/Tech/Tech-News/2013/10/01/Line-WeChat-Asian-social-networks-move-to-conquer-Europe.aspx
Written By,
Nur Amalia Adlin
yesz! lets do that. lets make asia the new europe. anyways speaking of line and we chat. i myself use line because of their interesting funny stickers and emoticons. the thing abt this app, its funny and its like a sort of an entertainment. we wanna communicate with people, family, friends or anyone with a lil funny touch can make people's life easier and happier. and speaking of wechat pulak, after we chat came out with this app, the app of sending voice note, soon later whatsapp kinda use that idea and implement them in whatsapp. by just pressing one button we can record our voice and when we release the button, it sends to the receiver automatically. i guess asians are getting more creative by the day. we should encourage that and support to make sure that we move forward together.
ReplyDeleteThis just shows how anything the Western can do, we Asians can do better. But sadly, if we are talking about the success of economy or anything technology related, we are usually talk about the East Side of Asia which consists of countries like China, Japan & South Korea. It is no surprised that our former Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir came up with "Dasar Pandang Ke Timur" because these countries has always managed to change the perception that only European/Western countries are successful.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, back to the topic that discussed by Alia, we can use this as our motivation to become an innovative person. Because with great ideas, and great marketing strategy , it is not possible for us to sell our creation to the world and possibly become a world sensation.
My close friend once said, With great power comes great responsibility.
DeleteWell what can we say, Asians rule. I'm proud to be Asian. We seem to always dominate the technology part of the world. But it is always the westerners who take the credit. Why? Because everything is Made in China. -__-
ReplyDelete