1. Case Study: WeChat for Business
ISQS 4385, Fall 2016
Zhangxi Lin

2. What is WeChat
WeChat began life in January 2011 as a simple chat app with features and functionality similar to WhatsApp.
It was created by a small team of just eight developers within Tencent’s R&D team offices in Guangzhou.
WeChat is often described as a Swiss army knife super app. It seemingly does everything. It allows us to order cabs, buy film tickets, play games, check in for flights, pay bills, listen to music, read news, shop for clothes or meet random people nearby.
Yet despite having an amazing variety of features, the core of WeChat is still messaging. Its primary function is for communication with friends and family.

3. Key Statistics for WeChat
1billion + registered users
650 million monthly active users (October 2015)
570 million daily active users (September 2015)
Valuation: $83.6 billion (HSBC August 2015)
10+ million official accounts opened for businesses
The average WeChat user reads 7 articles (equivalent to 1 novel) per day through WeChat

5. Applications of WeChat
1. Public account managing platform (微信公众平台)
2. WeChat Pay（微信支付）
3. Protecting users
4. WeChat Wallet
5. QR codes
6. WeChat Moments

7. How to Use WeChat for Business
Marketing in China

8. Could We Find a substitute in the US?
Here are most popular ones:
WhatsApp
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
Skype
Think about this further
Is there a new social networking tool in the US can compete with WebChat in business?
Could we create one?
How could we convince the company to adopt a similar channel for the business?
If approved what you need to do next?