Line Messaging Application - Case Study - Marketing Strategy Adapt to Changes in Culture.

1. Overview about Line

Line is a free messaging application which was introduced in June 2011. After 4 years, Line has owned 211 million users who active monthly, focusing in main markets such as Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia and Spain. There are some milestones in its development which is described in following table:

1. Challenges in major markets.

The major threats of LINE are other instant messaging apps like Whatsapp, VIBER, KAKAO, Facebook, Twitter etc. Most of these apps provide the same basic functions. And there is a low barrier of entry in this industry. Therefore, LINE should be very aware of their user’s preferences, adhesion, etc. And they should research customer’s behavior by data mining, big data.

Suggestion for current big markets.

At first LINE succeeded most because of its local themes stickers. But it is not hard to imitate for competitors. LINE needs to continue to release new features and strive to stay ahead of the competitions. So they hope they can reach to their users everyday through their functions and apps. They attempt to become dominant on mobile platforms. Therefore, in major markets where Line has most users, Line should take time to introduce following functions:

• Taxi services: users can order taxi via application by searching users’ nearby taxi.
• Broadcasting: users can watch an event of a celebrities directly as the same time with event.
• Instant translator: users can make friends with other people from different languages by translating their message
• Make friends app: searching friends nearby users.

Currently, there is the emergence of new technology like Google Glass, Apple Watch. These are still immature product and do not have many functions inside. Most of people who buy it are innovator and early adopter. Google Glass turn out to be not successful. But these will be a potential influences in Line in the future. Therefore, LINE may cooperate with companies that produce wearable products to combine LINE in their products, to become partners in the futures, not to become rivals.

1. Obstacles in new markets – USA and Western.

Line is very successful in Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Spain and other high context cultures, however, when the company enters in United State and some Western countries, it seems to have low presence in these markets. The main reason may contribute to the differences between high context culture which is very popular in Asia and low context culture which is mainly dominated in commutation culture of the Western. Low context cultures describe a communication style that relies heavily on explicit, direct language and the use of words must effectively convey the entire message. We can see these features through Whatsapp which has most users in US market. By simple design focusing on main functions like texting message, voice chat, sending pictures Whatsapp has met the preferences of US customers.