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| The WeChat logo. (Photo/CFP) |
Chinese
smartphone messaging app WeChat has become one of the four major instant
messaging tools widely used in Indonesia, reports Shanghai's China Business
News, citing Andi Ardiansyah, an Indonesian representative based in Guangzhou.
As of the
third quarter of 2013, the number of active users of the Chinese and global
version of WeChat touched 271.9 million, surging by 124%. Internet giant
Tencent, which developed the popular app, said the growth has been aided by
strengthening international marketing campaigns.
Ardiansyah
stated that many Indonesian entrepreneurs like using WeChat for its
reliability. The growing proximity between China and Indonesia's political and
business circles has also helped boost its popularity.
"I use
WeChat because many of my Chinese friends use it," said Ardiansyah.
In addition
to forging closer ties between the two countries, Tencent has been operating in
the Southeast Asian country and has entered a joint venture with MNC, a
subsidiary of Indonesia's largest media group PT Global Mediacom, which has
sped up the expansion of WeChat in the social media market.
MNC said it
was mainly broadcasting advertisements or hosting events to promote the app.
Before
WeChat entered the Indonesian market, Facebook was the largest social media
network in the country. WeChat now has an edge given the flourishing
development of mobile internet in Indonesia.
Market
observers said that an outstanding marketing strategy was the key to WeChat's
success in the country as the app has captured considerable market share in a
short period of time through advertising.
In addition
to MNC, WeChat broadcasts different television advertisements in Thailand,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Mexico by cooperating with local tech or
media firms. WeChat also collaborated with Google to promote its services in
the United States last week, the paper said. WeChat faces a number of obstacles
in the mature European and US market, however.
Ma Huateng
or Pony Ma, founder and CEO of Tencent, is now placing great emphasis on the
internationalization of WeChat. He said China used to copy the models adopted
by the US market in the internet arena but the mobile internet's development
has been faster in China compared to Western countries, which presents Chinese
firms with a rare opportunity.
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