Deep Dive 23 minutes premiumDeep Dive: WeChat— From Messaging App to Profitable Ecosystem Author By Coresight Research May 16, 2017 Key Points With no apparent competitors in sight, WeChat, the flagship mobile instant-messaging platform and social network of internet services giant Tencent, holds court in China. Coupled with differentiable features, WeChat is on track to continue increasing user engagement and retention. Within the retail world, WeChat has been, and continues to be, a major source of disruption—bridging social media and e-commerce. In this report, we highlight three key product differentiators that have led to WeChat’s dominance in China: i) in social media—Moments and Official Accounts; ii) in mobile payments—WeChat Pay; and iii) in mini apps—its Mini Programs. Despite its dominance, WeChat could face challenges in expanding further: decelerating growth of its user base in China and the capacity threshold of its app. May 16, 2017 premium This report is for Premium subscribers only. Learn more about subscriptions here. Other research you may be interested in: