Let’s Talk About JKT48 and KakaoTalk

Earlier this week, the South Korean mobile phone messenger KakaoTalk revealed that it had joined forces with JKT48 as part of its marketing campaign in Indonesia. This may have come as a surprise to some, given that JKT48 has historically been ambassadors for Japanese brands. Observers would probably have expected the group to be ambassadors for LINE, which is more popularly used in Japan. (Knowledgeable observers will also know that, in reality, LINE is actually a spin-off by South Korea’s NAVER Corporation.)

The first indication that the group is bucking the trend of becoming ambassadors for Japanese brands was its signing with the Javanese manufacturer of the herbal medicine Tolak Angin. This particular partnership seemed like a no-brainer because Tolak Angin had made a humorous cameo appearance in a segment of the Japanese television program Kaigai Iku nara Coordinate! last June thanks to Haruka Nakagawa and Aki Takajo. Nine months later, the partnership became a reality.

In reality, KakaoTalk’s move is relevant when placed in greater context. Just one month ago, Reuters news agency published on article which takes a closer look on KakaoTalk’s aggressive campaign in Indonesia. In entering one of the world’s largest mobile markets, KakaoTalk faced a daunting opponent in LINE, whose application is pre-installed in many Android-based Samsung phones that have become very popular in Southeast Asia. This is perhaps the irony of the situation—that Samsung, as a South Korean mobile phone manufacturer, did not engage with a mobile messenger native to the country.

KakaoTalk’s strategy is different. Rather than working with large corporations, it took advantage of the people’s interest in celebrities, especially local rather than international ones. In Malaysia, KakaoTalk has the backing of pop princess Yuna, who is the pride of the local music industry. It is in this context that a partnership is not only logical, but expected. JKT48, as an inherently Indonesian group (in flavor rather than in music), is the perfect match for KakaoTalk’s Indonesia offensive in the company’s view.

Time will tell whether this partnership is successful. To KakaoTalk, the metric of this campaign is simple—how many users will begin using KakaoTalk because their favorite celebrity now endorse it? Metro TV reports that the messenger will add JKT48-themed emoticons (equivalent to LINE’s stickers) next month, although it is not known whether they will be available globally or to Indonesian users only. Reaction among fans are mixed. Although it is clear that many have installed KakaoTalk following the announcement, the challenge is retaining the users. In this respect, KakaoTalk is clever for recruiting an entire community of users in the JKT48 fan base rather than individual prominent celebrities.

In spite of all this, one irony remains. WeChat, China’s mobile messaging platform, is partnered to none other than Global Mediacom, the ultimate parent of Media Nusantara Citra (MNC) group and its subsidiaries which have traditionally been JKT48 business partners.