WeChat's ongoing innovation partnership with established global companies such as Burberry has helped increased awareness for its unique functionality and responsive content capabilities. (Photo : YouTube/Burberry)
WeChat is a powerful mobile app that has grown at a rapid pace in China and catching on in other parts of the world as nowadays, global mobile applications can do things like create a sketch, order and send flowers, dodge traffic, pay bills, and watch big fashion events.
Created by internationally renowned Internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd., the WeChat app has been embraced not just by the tech-inclined but also by cost-conscious young people in China. By clicking or swiping their smartphones, consumers can pay split restaurant bills or avail of services like house cleaning, laundry, cab, trainer-supervised workout, or a massage in the comforts of home, at a discount.
Apart from Facebook- and Skype-like features, not to mention sending or big files, WeChat smartphone app may soon have a personal loan feature.
Tencent has polled millions of smartphone users, and through the internet bank WeBank, will soon provide micro loans to individual consumers or entrepreneurs via the WeChat feature dubbed Weilida, The Wallstreet Journal reported.
Global marketers and ambassadors for the WeChat brand continue to line up alliances for the social messaging app in countries that include the United States, Europe, India, Philippines and other Asian markets in a bid to make it mainstream.
Small retailers and established brands that have used mobile messaging platforms like WeChat draw interest to their products and events, and facilitate direct conversations with target consumers.
Through clever combination of a number of useful features to build its ecosystem and strategic investments, Tencent has tightened its stronghold on China and shown much progress in its international expansion efforts, Forbes reported.
With an estimated 600 million monthly active users (and still counting), WeChat is fast stealing the thunder from rival messaging apps in the market.
As Tencent invests to win new users outside the mainland China market, the sophisticated yet easy-to-navigate app is poised to become one of the world's most powerful innovations.
