In an endeavor to stay relevant with its users, messaging app Line is testing a new feature that would allow you to send real gifts to your friends. The Japanese chat application has tried introducing a number of new services in Thailand, including a music streaming service and a YouTube-style app. Their latest effort is an attempt to monetize their biggest market -- users in Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand.
Line users can already send each other digital gifts (like stickers), but now some can also send real gifts through a digital gift shop with offline results. Some of the brands Line is working with on this project include Asia Books, SF Cinema and 7-Eleven.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Digital Gift Shop
- The integration of a digital gift shop within a messaging app is an opportunity for disruptive innovation by allowing users to send real gifts to their friends and generates revenue for the app through partnerships with offline retailers.
- Monetizing Popular Markets
- App companies can monetize their user base by offering new services that cater to their most active markets, generating revenue through partnerships with local brands.
- Offline Results From Digital Gifts
- Creating a bridge between offline and online through tangible real-life results of digital gifts may offer opportunities for disruptive innovation by leveraging online activity to encourage offline consumer behavior.
Where This Applies
- Messaging Apps
- Messaging apps can integrate new services like digital gift shops and generate revenue through partnerships with offline retailers.
- E-commerce
- Offline retailers can partner with messaging apps to integrate their products into digital gift shops and tap into online consumers.
- Marketing and Advertising
- Marketing firms can leverage the popularity of messaging app users by partnering with these apps to advertise their products and services to local markets.
