Most smartphone users in the U.S. may be unfamiliar with WeChat, but they will hear about it soon.
The fast-growing smartphone messaging application from China is now trying to expand in the U.S. market with a newly launched promotional campaign.
WeChat, developed by Shenzhen-basedTencent HoldingsTCEHY +4.28%, isone of China’s hottest technology exports with more than 272 million monthly active users world-wide. While the majority of its users are still in China, the app since last year has been quickly adding new users in Asia and other overseas markets like South Africa and Spain.
According to WeChat’s Chinese website, here’s how the new promotion works: Tencent is asking people who holdGoogleGOOG +1.52% accounts to connect their accounts with WeChat, so they can invite their Google contacts to join WeChat. People can win a $25 Restaurant.com gift card from Tencent by getting five of their Google contacts to join WeChat.
Google offers a feature that makes it possible to use Google accounts to sign in to other mobile apps. Since Tencent updated the app last year, WeChat users have been able to connect their Google accounts with their WeChat accounts.
To be sure, WeChat faces an uphill battle in the U.S., where it will have to take on well-known local competitors such as Facebook’s messenger app, WhatsApp and Snapchat, just to name a few. Globally, Silicon Valley’s WhatsApp is still ahead of WeChat in the messaging app category with more than 300 million monthly active users, while other Asian apps like Line from Japan are also challenging WeChat in emerging markets.
The new campaign in the U.S. is the latest step in Tencent’s efforts to promote WeChat abroad. Last year, Tencent spent $200 million on advertising WeChat overseas, hiring Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi for TV commercials.
Google declined to comment on Tencent’s latest initiative.
