Maximising Reach: Marketing with LINE for Food and Drink Exporters - Part 1

The LINE app is hugely popular across Taiwan, Japan, Thailand and Indonesia, so how can food and drink exporters take advantage of this to drive customer loyalty and sales? Marketing with LINE is easier than you might think with many options for brands to drive engagement.

What is LINE?

At it's core, LINE is a freeware messenger app that can be used with most operating systems on phones, tablets and also computers. Like WeChat, LINE is more than just a social messaging service though because it also offers:

• games
• music
• videos
• VOIP conversations
• video conferencing
• digital wallet (LINE pay)
• taxi ordering
• shopping referrals and discounts
• digital comic distribution
• video on demand
• food and products delivery service
• cryptocurrency conversion
• access to healthcare

The LINE app is operated by the Line Corporation based in Tokyo, which is a subsidiary of the South Korean Naver Corporation, an internet search engine company. It was originally developed as an emergency response after the Tōhoku earthquake (Fukushima), designed to allow contact even when the phone systems were overloaded or down, and has become the most popular messenger app in Japan.

Food and Beverage brands & other companies also have multiple options for marketing with LINE, which means you need to understand how your company could benefit from working with the app.

Understanding the User Base of the LINE App

Demographics and user behaviour

The app is popular across all age groups in the countries where it's popular. For example in Japan, around 70% of the population are active on there.

The significance of Line in the daily lives of South East Asian consumers

If you notice, all of the markets where the LINE app has really gained a massive foothold are high context cultures. That is especially relevant in this case because the app led the way in making stickers a standard feature of social messaging - something which isn't only fun, but adds additional context to the actual words being used. Stickers also help to give an answer without being confrontational or feeling awkward, not to mention the fact that in 3 of the 4 main markets the alphabets used are complex to write with a keyboard, making stickers a great shortcut.

Users rely on the app to keep in touch with friends and family but also appreciate the way the various elements integrate seamlessly as well as the fact it's simple to use (ie you can almost run your whole life from within the app). Connection and convenience come together with a high fun factor.

I've used LINE for a long time to keep in touch with friends and business partners, however when you visit countries like Thailand, you realise just how much advertising and use of the app there is everywhere. Literally every restaurant had a QR code on the table for their official accounts, some connected with coupon codes or discounts if you signed up.

Marketing with Line for Food and Beverage Exporters

Which Features are most useful for Businesses?

Official Accounts

This is the foundational feature of doing business on any platform.

Businesses and stores can use messaging and other features to communicate and build mid-to-long-term relationships with users who friend their LINE official account. It's interesting that messaging from official accounts has around a 70% open rate on the platform.

In addition to messaging, businesses can use other handy features (e.g. one-on-one chats, giving out coupons or digital loyalty cards) to attract users to their website or physical stores.

Promotion Stickers

These can help drive brand loyalty and engagement by featuring the company logo or characters. They are obviously an active kind of ad for the brand and can be used in different ways:

• added to the sticker shop for anyone to download
• handed out by your as a brand eg as an incentive for friending the official account or buying certain products
• but also for completing surveys or linking their LINE ID to your account - this helps with your CRM possibilities
• you can also issue limited edition stickers

Ads

Of course this is always a feature of any brands' tool kit, but make sure they are tailored to the way consumers use the platform - don't just assume you can run exactly the same ads as on other platforms.

You also have the option to place ads via the LINE ads network, which includes external apps and can really extend your reach.

LINE@: a tool that lets businesses and merchants communicate with customers and potential customers

LINE@ presents a remarkable opportunity for businesses, enabling them to connect with millions of regular LINE users. It boasts an array of exciting marketing features, including coupons, keyword replies, points earning systems, polls, broadcasts, and segmented messaging that can target individuals, specific sub-groups, or the wider market.

How Line's features align with consumer trends in South East Asia

• Social Commerce: Line's integration of social media and e-commerce features aligns with the growing trend of social commerce in Southeast Asia. Its "Line Shopping" feature allows users to browse and purchase products directly within the app, making it a convenient and seamless shopping experience.
• Mobile-First Approach: Line's focus on mobile-first features caters to the region's high smartphone penetration and mobile-first internet usage. Its messaging, social media, and payment features are all optimized for mobile devices, making them accessible to a wider audience.
• Micro-transactions and Digital Payments: Line Pay, the app's integrated payment system, aligns with the increasing adoption of digital payments and micro-transactions in Southeast Asia. This feature allows users to make small, convenient payments for goods and services within the Line ecosystem.
• 24/7 Availability:?Asian consumers expect instant responses. Use chatbots and live agents to provide real-time support for an exceptional customer experience.
• Meaningful Journey: Enhance every stage of the customer experience with LINE's inbound and outbound marketing messages, notifications, and live chat capabilities.
• Creative Engagement: Utilise engaging formats such as images and videos to make your brand memorable. Let your creativity shine!

Engaging with Consumers through Line

Creating compelling content is a must on any social media channel, but on LINE you also have a few extra features. For example you could create your own stickers - don't make them too "salesy" with your logos though. They should be nice enough for people to want to share them with friends as well as "friending" your account.

You can find many strategies for personalisation & customer engagement in this blog post, so I won't repeat them in this section. I'd just like to highlight that LINE lives from it's playful character so bear that in mind when you're creating your content.

Case Studies

Here are some specific examples of how Line's features have been used by businesses to reach consumers in Southeast Asia:

Social Commerce and Brand Engagement:

• Thai brands like Jaspal and Greyhound use Line's official accounts and Line@ (business accounts) to showcase their products, run promotions, and engage directly with customers.
• Indonesian e-commerce platforms like Tokopedia and Bukalapak have integrated Line's messaging and payment features to streamline the shopping experience for their users.

Interactive Marketing Campaigns:

• Malaysian brands like Petronas and Maxis have used Line's stickers, chatbots, and mini-games to run interactive marketing campaigns that increase brand awareness and customer engagement.
• Philippine companies like Jollibee and Smart Communications utilize Line's broadcast features to send personalized updates, offers, and content to their followers.

Customer Service and Loyalty Programs:

• Singapore-based companies like DBS Bank and Grab have leveraged Line's chat functionalities to provide efficient customer support and allow users to access their services directly within the app.
• Thai retailers like Central and Robinson Department Stores have integrated Line's digital loyalty programs, allowing customers to earn and redeem points through the app.

Offline-to-Online Integrations:

• In Indonesia, brands like Unilever and Telkomsel have used Line's QR code features to connect their offline marketing campaigns (e.g., product packaging, in-store displays) to their digital brand experiences and e-commerce offerings.
• Malaysian businesses like Senheng and Senheng Electric have utilized Line's payment and customer engagement tools to bridge the gap between their physical stores and online presence.

Starbucks

A 2019 academic study looked at the influence of promotion via LINE Messenger on the attitude of the Starbucks' LINE official account followers in Indonesia. You can read the full study here. It was found that sharing "persuasive messages" between 7 & 8am, especially via chat rooms had a positive effect on the attitudes of the official account followers.

There is a promotional influence on LINE messenger towards attitudes of Starbucks’ LINE followers with a healthy relationship level of 55,8%, while 44,2% is influenced by other variables not explained in the research.

LINE study (Starbucks, Indonesia)

L'Occitane in Japan in 2020

The brand introduced digital membership cards which allowed them to collect data and use this for more accurate targeting and promotions, by using their CRM capabilities. (This membership is also integrated into offline stores). What I really like about this use case is that they did really detailed customer segmenting - integrated across ALL their social media platforms - to reduce the burden on users of being constantly bombarded with content and offers. This resulted in less frustration for users and enabled the brand to increase their return on ad spend by 3000%! It also allowed L'Occitane to offset their in-store sales losses with online sales during the pandemic.

These examples showcase how Line's versatile features have enabled businesses across Southeast Asia to reach and engage with their target consumers more effectively, leveraging the app's widespread popularity and broad functionalities.

Line is an essential marketing tool in certain Asian markets

If you've been on holiday in Thailand or the Philippines in the last couple of years, for sure you'll have seen the LINE QR codes in cafes and restaurants, encouraging you to "befriend" the business for personalised coupons and discounts.

In part 2 I'll go into how you can use the playful nature of the app and the powerful marketing features to position your brand in these markets.

Have you already used the LINE app for your Asian marketing?