Last word from the East: WeChat's advertising gamble

Edward Bell

This article explains how WeChat, the Chinese instant messaging service, is treading carefully with the introduction of advertising, as its users are commercially sensitive.

Last word from the East: WeChat's advertising gamble

Edward BellFCB Greater China

This month, Tencent's WeChat, China's leading social media platform, took its first real steps into the world of paid advertising. So, is it the beginning of the next age of advertising or just another clumsy grope for the advertiser's wallet?

With 438 million active users, checking their WeChat status every several minutes, WeChat is a force of modern social communication. It has overtaken Weibo, the hitherto leading name of social media, by being driven by personal networks and conversation rather than 'posts' to all. And unlike Weibo,...

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