(Source: marketing-interactive)
Japanese messaging company LINE has announced the expansion of operations in Hong Kong, led by the official launch of its news aggregation service LINE Today.
The news curation service will take content from 20 Hong Kong and Taiwan media outlets such as Sing Tao Daily, Stand News and Unwire.hk across the categories such as breaking news, local stories, lifestyle, entertainment, travel, sports and technology.
It is expected that there will be a total of 35 content providers by the year-end, and additional content by key local influencers will be offered later this year.
The messaging company said by the second quarter of 2018, artificial intelligence will be deployed to customise news updates and provide users with the news and feature stories that are most relevant to them.
LINE’s strategy reflected the same approach taken by larger internet companies, such as Tencent and Baidu, to entice existing users and new customers to stay glued to their products and services through new features and campaigns.
Various messaging apps have already turned into a one-stop shop for users on their smartphones, which aids in collecting valuable customer data to enable targeted advertising.
“With the introduction of LINE Today, we are deepening our commitment to our Hong Kong users, offering an expanded suite of localised services that reflect the unique culture and evolving needs of this sophisticated market,” said Gareth Lau, editorial team lead of LINE Hong Kong.