
Addition hooks and incentives are provided by features like gaming and virtual items and - using the network effect - these three services are seeing their popularity spread across other parts of Asia and into other continents too. So what is it about mobile messaging that makes the likes of WhatsApp, Line and Kakao Talk so big in Asia?Įach service has initially found traction in its home market, and they are rivaling social networks like Facebook because they are mobile-first and specifically designed around communication. It also recently launched Kakao Pages, which aims to be a marketplace for content creators. It also runs a Path-like social network called Kakao Story, Kakao Poll and photo-focused Kakao Album. Kakao Talk is not the company’s only product. Kakao Home crossed 1 million downloads just two weeks after its it went live that’s faster than Facebook Home.
Kakaotalk korean android#
The Korean firm is expanding its messenger with the recent launch of a PC-based client, while it launched an Android launcher app - in the style of Facebook Home - initially just for users in Korea. The company recently confirmed to TNW that the platform is seeing more than $30 million worth of revenue per month - that figure is split between Kakao, publishers and Apple/Google which own the iOS and Android platforms. Kakao Talk’s gaming service has been particular strong. The Kakao Talk service also allows brands to open official accounts which are promoted to users and can push promotional messaging, links and content to Kakao Talk users that opt to receive them. An example to this would be Samsung products. They are nationalistic to the extent where they are willing to pay more for a locally built product even though you can find it cheaper somewhere else. That’s something US-based Tango recently implemented. One of the important reasons why Kakaotalk is so popular is because South Koreans have a great deal of pride for local products. Like Line, Path and others, it sells stickers - rich emoticons that are available in packs of a dozen for $1/$2 - while it provides an API that lets publishers make their games social on the Kakao Talk platform and provides a virtual currency for buying items. The company makes money through Kakao Talk in a number of ways. The company has ambitions to grow its international presence, and it recently partnered with Evernote to let its users easily save messages and moments to the note-taking service.

Kakaotalk korean install#
The 100 million figure is impressive for Kakao Talk because the service is predominantly used in Korea, which has a population of just 50 million, though Kakao claims its messenger has a 90 percent install rate among domestic users.
