Several months ago, my dad asked me if I had WeChat
installed on my iPhone. When I said no,
he insisted that I download the mobile communication app, rattling off all of
its features and boasting about how often he uses it. I politely shrugged off his request, given
that I take any technology advice from my dad with a grain of salt.
Little did I know, my dad had already caught on to a huge
and growing trend in China. WeChat is a
free mobile app offered by Chinese Internet giant Tencent that “blends elements
of WhatsApp, Skype, Instagram and Facebook.”
In less than three years it has grown to 236 million monthly active
users without any concerted monetization efforts.
Now it appears that’s about to change. Celebrities are beginning to offer
subscription-based services through WeChat that allow fans to connect with them
through exclusive content. It’s a unique
marketing and branding tool that companies are starting to catch onto as
well. Starbucks, for example, has
leveraged the platform by asking users their mood, and then sending them a song
to match. Given the breadth of the
WeChat platform, brands have a lot of creative potential to drive customer
engagement through this channel.
I believe that Tencent has been cautious with WeChat,
prioritizing the build-out of a large user base over any immediate monetization
efforts. In China’s celebrity-mad
culture, have famous pop stars offer subscription services is a good way to
test the waters to see what the potential could be. In the meantime, I may actually heed my dad’s
advice and finally download the app.
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