LINE aims to become part of people's daily lives
LINE, a leading chat application, is upbeat about its presence in Myanmar, as the number of users in the country has jumped by 309 per cent since its soft launch in March.
Darin Hwang, general manager for LINE Myanmar, told reporters on Friday that this dramatic growth has prompted the company to pick Myanmar as the next market for transition. However, he would not disclose the exact number of users.
“Our user base is astonishing at the moment. I believe in the future potential of the market. We are trying to encourage Myanmar users to learn about LINE and explore all that we have to offer,” he said.
LINE is also hoping to expand to other cities in the country.
“We are not just interested in user growth, but are also looking at the experience of better communication – which is the core of our platform,” he said.
In line with the healthy growth of smartphone and Internet penetration in the country, LINE will focus on complementing local needs. “Basically, we want to be part of people’s daily life,” he said.
Although LINE is relatively young in Myanmar, it is not worried about its competitors such as Viber, Whatsapp and WeChat.
LINE has entered into partnerships with a number of local and international organisations, including Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) and Samsung. It is also eyeing celebrity endorsements in the near future.
“We are looking for partnerships that can really help us reach out to a variety of customers. Depending on the needs, we will reach out to every company that is willing to interact. We are very open to establishing partnerships with local businesses,” Hwang said.
He said the company was very excited about partnering with MPT as it plans to do something different. “What we are doing at the moment is something you have never seen in Myanmar, though it’s a bit early to say exactly what we are going to do,” he said.
The executive pointed out that LINE also serves as a good business tool, adding that he was certain the platform will soon become a market leader.
Hwang said that the firm plans to hold many offline events, including roadshows in different cities, starting with Yangon.
Currently, LINE’s Thai office is carrying out activities in Myanmar.
