Exclusive | LINE is in line with Digital

Whether you've just purchased a new Android device, or whether your device is about a year old, you're going to want to make sure that you are getting the most out of your tech. Fortunately, there are a variety of different messaging apps available on the app store, to compliment the variety of apps that come preinstalled.

Messaging is something that all of us use today. Gone is the time when there was only text messaging or BBM for that matter. Today not only are there much more and better options but also a whole new platform. One such messaging app is LINE. It is one of the popular applications where one can chat, make free calls or video calls and many more services.

Adgully was curious to know about how the company went about to build this goodwill in such a short period of time, so we got in touch with Mr. Daman Soni, Business Development Head, LINE, India.

LINE is one of the most talked about brands which has redefined the way the industry works. Commenting on the same, Soni says that, “Today, LINE has grown rapidly in India with more than 30 million users since its launch in May 2013. LINE has made mobile communication easier and more fun with stickers of its unique characters. It is not just a messenger app but a life platform which offers multitude services. With applications like LINE DECO, LINE camera, timeline and Official Accounts by brands, LINE has redefined the way the industry works. LINE recently introduced some really exciting features such as B612 which lets you easily take gorgeous selfies with 53 filters to add. You can also enjoy LINE Game with your LINE friends.”

He adds, “It comes as no surprise that LINE is creating waves and leading in the social app domain which is surrounded by many others and the company is constantly experimenting and working on improving the overall app experience for its users.”

Speaking about his roles and responsibilities at LINE this year, he added that, “The journey has been fascinating to say the least. The industry offers many exciting opportunities for the future and we have been busy formulating & executing our plans for the same.”

“In India, LINE offers localized features like stickers which have different themes and Indian characters. These localized content and the Indian specific stickers help the consumers communicate in an informal way. India has a unique culture and we are always experimenting to go further with the app and add features that make communication interesting, simple and uncomplicated,” he adds.

While they have invested a significant amount of time to understand the users in this market and have been frequently adding features to create an exciting app experience. Their efforts have been showing some great results and have seen a younger audience downloading the app. “We will continue to gain momentum in the coming months with some big partnerships and app upgrades,” he adds.

While they have always been aggressive in the brand strategy, Soni adds that, “LINE has opened a dynamic market space on the application by partnering with e-commerce giants such as Groupon, Jabong among others in India. The daily deals rolled out on the application are sold-out within an incredible 10 minutes. As a life platform, we are in a constant lookout for partnerships to bring more benefits to the users and helping businesses communicate with their customers.”

While for the business partners having their Official Accounts, LINE helps them to reach and communicate more consumers in easier way.  LINE can provide a totally new business ecosystem with extensive consumer outreach. As a new business platform and also lifestyle platform, we are in a constant lookout for partnerships to bring more benefits to the users and helping businesses communicate with their customers.

This brand is setting benchmarks in the category with your strategies and communication plans, commenting on the same, Soni adds that, “LINE is a life platform – with games, tools, social connectivity and entertainment apps complementing LINE Messenger itself. The LINE family has grown into a multi-faceted platform that allows users to create, share and connect with one another across any platform. The strategies we use to maintain the strong appeal to users are -
1: Paid Stickers (B2C)
In addition to basic LINE character Stickers provided for free, Paid Stickers with more LINE & other famous characters are also available for download at Sticker Shop via In-App-Purchase system.
2: Game in-app purchases (B2C)
LINE provides many game titles through its gaming service, LINE GAME. These games offer a rich entertainment experience that can be shared among close friends who are connected with one another via LINE. A number of paid options further enhance the experience by adding premium features.
3: Official Account & Sponsored Stickers (B2B)
Partner brands can open their own official brand accounts in LINE for marketing purposes. By friending brand accounts, users can benefit from discount offers and coupons from their favorite brands.  Through a number of campaigns, brand accounts are proven to be more effective than conventional internet advertising methods in terms of reach, engagement, and other important marketing factors. Also, Sponsored Stickers are effective marketing tool for promoting products and raising brand awareness.

Bundling of IM apps with service providers and OEM vendors helps bring in lucrative add-on offers that allow users to stay connected on the app.”

This brand has also been trying to reach out to Tier II and small towns. Soni said that, “We have released several TVC’s at the initial stage of our business in India in order to increase awareness of LINE. We have ones starring with Katrina Kaif, fun short videos and so on. We also partnered with Bollywood movie Humshakals to launch our campaign on Free Talk Time. We tasted success with our partnerships with the entertainment industry and would look at all possible avenues to bring enjoyment to LINE users in India.”

Speaking about standing ahead of competition Soni said that, “I would like to note that we don’t see other messaging apps as competitors as LINE is more than a messenger, a life platform. Users are gradually increasing the consumption of content on LINE. LINE differentiates itself with its unique stickers, high quality free voice calling, PC version of LINE, Official Accounts by brands, a dynamic social timeline and an in-app market place. LINE recently introduced some really exciting features such as B612 which lets you easily take gorgeous selfies with 53 filters to add. You can also enjoy LINE Game with your LINE friends. As usage increases, our priority remains the same - introducing features, adding more platforms, and improving LINE with every new version.”

While LINE is popular across the nation and is popular among the younger generation for its cool features like stickers, LINE camera, LINE Game and other family apps. Their features and upgrades cater to the masses spread across all regions in India.

Last year (2013) marked the launch of LINE in India and the response since then has been exceptional. Commenting on the same, Soni added, “LINE has grown rapidly in India with more than 30 million users since its launch. With every quarter, the user numbers have continued to increase, with firm growth seen in the Indian market. In addition, LINE’s platform-based strategy has been successful leading to even further increases in new user numbers and an overall expansion.”

He adds, “The sticker business that allows users to purchase and sell stickers made by them has witnessed the rapid growth of LINE. Furthermore the increased the pace of sticker localization efforts within LINE’s India expansion has also resulted in desired outcome.”

Well it has indeed been a great journey for this brand in the country. While the brand intends to grow in the country, at a closure note Soni adds that, “Optimal user experience is in the heart of every feature that we bring for our users in India, as we make sure that our new features and services take our users beyond the usual messaging communication experience. As the world’s leading life platform, LINE will continue to offer a variety of communication, entertainment and information features for all users in India to enjoy.” By: Archit Ambekar  | Twitter: @aambarchit