Viber super app aims to boost MSME growth

Cristina Constandache —Contributed photo

Rakuten Viber is helping micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) raise their profiles and extend their reach online at no cost—without needing the aid of digital experts.

As many MSMEs already have a presence in Viber, all they have to do now is create an account for their businesses so messages for their enterprises do not clutter up and are separated from personal communication, and vice versa, using the new Rakuten Viber super application.

The process will be as fast and easy as creating their personal accounts. Rakuten Viber chief revenue officer Cristina Constandache says, “A business [account] can be created in a few seconds [just] like setting up their own accounts.”

And, with the super app, MSMEs can customize and personalize contents and provide an online showcase—or showroom—for their products and services.

Through the super app, which will be a free, self-serve communications hub, businesses, especially MSMEs that do not have the resources for costly and drawn-out promotional campaigns, can reach new customers, build and retain loyalty, make discoverability faster and convenient, and drive sales.

Rakuten Viber, the global leader in private and secure messaging and voice-based communication, has chosen the Philippines for the rollout of its new suite of business tools for MSMEs.

David Tse, Rakuten Viber senior director for Asia-Pacific, says the new super app will amplify the existing features of the platform as a tool for MSMEs. It will enhance communication and interaction between buyers and sellers as they can now directly talk about services and products in an account dedicated to business without the intrusion and/or distraction of personal messages and calls.

The super app, with its diversified business solutions, will be a communications hub for a wide range of businesses, supporting marketing goals and enabling the discovery of new products and services.

One-stop shop

Constandache says the super app will be “a one-stop shop for businesses of all sizes.”She adds, “[People] need real-time conversations [in] all industries in the Philippines.” With the super app, Rakuten Viber will now work with more sectors.

With a wide range of services that are available and useful to businesses and their markets, Constandache promises that the super app will be effective and efficient.

“Solutions to [users’ problems] are very much customizable,” she says. The super app will be very relevant in MSMEs’ daily lives. The super app, she says, is designed for the use of people already using Viber. “You (MSMEs) extend your reach … and enhance visibility.”

And the solutions offered are entirely free, although she does not discount the possibility that, in the future, some value-added features may be available for a fee.

MSMEs that have established their presence in other social media platforms do not even have to drop those accounts. Constandache says it is not a case of “either or.”

As the super app is meant to strengthen the presence and widen the reach of MSMEs, other platforms will only make it easier and quicker to achieve the goal.

Rakuten Viber has over 1 billion downloads on Android alone for personal accounts. Businesses have the chance to reach this large pool of potential customers.

Key features of the super app include:

Public business profile: Businesses can create a public, searchable business page with essential information. The profile may be shared with both Viber and non-Viber users.

1:1 customer chats: Businesses can respond to customers instantly through instant messaging.

Discoverability through Viber search: Customers can discover local products and services by searching for the business name or category.

Dedicated chat folders: Businesses can conveniently store customer messages separately from personal messages. Users will also have easy access to a separate Business Inbox folder for their conversations with businesses.

Product catalog: Business owners can effortlessly add new products or services to their catalog to allow customers to explore and inquire about the items.

Beta test

Viber’s new super app will be launched later this month in Greece, whose enterprise profile is similar to the Philippines’, according to Constandache.

In developing the super app, Viber invited Filipino MSMEs to participate in the beta test.

Nene Tamayo of Nene Prime Foods, which sells bottled gourmet bangus and other Filipino specialties, says the new app enabled her to add a personal touch to conversations that help build and retain a loyal following. Customers can find her business easily and reach out directly.

Bistro Box owner Mon Cabsag says, with the new app, “I can effortlessly engage with my customers, offer them tailored assistance and ensure seamless communication about their orders.” Cabsag, who started selling baked goods during the pandemic, has used Viber to reach his customers. Constandache invites more MSMEs to start or pursue their growth journey with Viber. “As we expand our business portfolio, we are committed to tailoring solutions to the unique needs of businesses of every scale. Our mission is clear: to offer customized services for enterprises of all sizes … With

Viber as a growth partner, businesses have a communications platform for adapting to new challenges that arise in their business journey.”

—CONTRIBUTED