7/13/2017
`
`Guide to Chat Apps - Columbia Journalism Review
`
`(./tow-center)
`
`Guide to Chat Apps
`
`Image: Getty
`
`Executive Summary | Introduction:The Dawnofthe Social MessagingEra | Key Players and Case
`Studies | Conclusion| Further Reading | Glossary | Interviewees| Citations
`
`Executive Summary
`
`Messaging apps nowhave moreglobalusers thantraditional social networks—which meanstheywill
`play an increasingly importantrole in the distribution of digital journalism in the future. While chat
`platformsinitially rose to prominencebyoffering a low-cost, web-basedalternative to SMS, over
`time they evolved into multimedia hubsthat support photos, videos, games, payments, and more.
`
`While many newsorganizations don’t yet use messaging apps,digitally savvy outlets like BuzzFeed,
`Mashable, The Huffington Post, and VICE have accompanied a moretraditional player in BBC News
`by establishing a presence on a numberofthese platforms.
`
`To complementour research, we interviewed leadership at multiple news outlets and chat platforms,
`thereby synthesizing key lessons and presenting notable case studiesreflecting the variety of
`creative and strategic work taking place within the messaging space. Mostpublisherefforts around
`messaging appsarestill in a formative, experimental stage, but even those have often proven
`effective in diversifyingtraffic sourcesfor digital content.
`
`https:/Awww.cjr.org/tow_center_reports/guide_to_chat_apps.php
`
`1/41
`
`Page 1 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 1
`
`Page 1 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 1
`
`

`

`7/13/2017
`
`Guide to Chat Apps - Columbia Journalism Review
`
`Drawing upon ourinterviews andcase studies, we identify a numberof opportunities and challenges
`for organizations using—or hoping to use—messaging apps for news. We arguethatto devise a
`successful messaging app strategy, publishers must understand regional strongholds, user
`demographics, and popular features of each app. Advantagesto the chat ecosystem include huge,
`untapped audiences; high engagementthrough pushnotifications; unique productslike stickers and
`“chatbots”(see glossary for definitions); and the opportunity to build community through chat
`rooms and crowdsourcedstorytelling. Meanwhile, challenges include limited analytics tools and a
`fragmented social landscape boasting roughly a dozen messaging apps, each with over 50 million
`registered users.
`
`Ourcasestudiesillustrate a numberof ways in which major newsoutlets have utilized various
`messaging apps, each with its own niche characteristics. In the past two years, many platforms—
`including Snapchat, Viber, Kik, LINE, WeChat, and Telegram—introducedofficial channels that
`publishers like CNN, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, and Cliff Central now leverage for
`contentdistribution and user engagement. Otherplayers,like WhatsApp,have noofficial offering for
`media owners,but this has not deterred organizations—mostnotably the BBC—from launching
`experimental campaigns.
`
`Sign up for CJR's daily email
`
`Email address
`
`SUBSCRIBE
`
`Ourresearch indicates that one of the greatest benefits of chat apps is the opportunity to use these
`platformsas live, sandbox environments. The chanceto play anditerate has helped several news
`organizations develop mobile-first content and experiential offerings that would have proved
`difficult in other digital environments. As these services primarily—andin somecases exclusively—
`exist on mobile phones,editorial teams have learnedto focus purely on the mobile experience,
`freeing themselves from considerations about how contentwill appear on desktop websites or other
`broadcast mediums.
`
`As happenedafter the early days of social media, before whicha proliferation of services (some with
`regional strengths) led to intense competition for user attention, we expect to see someeventual
`consolidation among chat apps. While Facebook Messenger and Skype do not garner muchfocusin
`this report, we believe they could becomesignificantplayers in this space over the coming year as
`they figure out the right proposition for their platforms to partner with media organizations.
`
`Elsewhere, we concludethat issues around information,privacy, personal security, and mobile data
`penetration will unfold in different ways around the world; apps like Telegram and FireChat are
`amongthoseat the forefront of addressing and solving these problems. They, in conjunction with
`
`https:/Awww.cjr.org/tow_center_reports/guide_to_chat_apps.php
`
`2/41
`
`Page 2 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 2
`
`Page 2 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 2
`
`

`

`7/13/2017
`
`Guide to Chat Apps - Columbia Journalism Review
`
`similar applications,are likely to see an increasein user uptake as they meet needsthat other major
`chat apps are unable to serve.
`
`In developing editorial strategies for some of these wide-ranging messaging platforms, news
`organizationsare notjust helping to future-proof themselves, they are also venturing into online
`spacesthat could enable them to reach hundredsofmillions of (often young) people with whom they
`have never engagedbefore.
`
`Key Observations
`
`The key findingsof this report can be summarizedas follows: Messaging appsoffer strong
`opportunities to engage newordifficult-to-reach demographics. For example, Snapchat, a very
`popular app amongmillennials, has been credited with engaging and informing young audiences on
`complex issueslike the Iran nuclear deal.
`
`Innovations such as bespoke(or customized) stickers and emojis can help newsoutlets quickly build
`significant audiences via messaging apps.
`
`Messaging apps enable newsoutlets to gather(potentially exclusive) user-generated content and can
`become a major source during breaking newssituations(e.g., as in the BBC’s coverage of the second
`Nepal earthquake in 2015).
`
`Newsoutlets may need to experimentwith a variety of chat apps to decipher which contenttype best
`suits the audiencesof each app. BuzzFeed, for example, had considerably more success using LINE
`for soft news than for hard news.
`
`Messaging apps can provide unique opportunities for giving audiencesdirect access to content and
`publishers,be it through tailormade WeChatplatforms(Cliff Central) or Public Chats on Viber (The
`Huffington Post).
`
`Messaging appsprovidea space for newsoutlets to engage their audiences with different—possibly
`lighter—typesof content(e.g., The Washington Post has used Kikto distribute games, quizzes, and
`chat adventures).
`
`Evenappsthatare not as geared toward publishing as someof their competitors, such as WhatsApp,
`hold great potential for newsoutlets if used strategically.
`
`Messagingappsnotonlyfacilitate communication with eyewitnessesin areas where other forms of
`communication aren’t functioning(e.g., during extreme weatherconditions), they can also provide a
`platform for people who don’t feel safe speaking on the telephone. Additionally, apps such as
`Telegram focus strongly on encryption andsecurity.
`
`Messaging appsare not usedsolely to drivetraffic to websites (e.g., BuzzFeed is using LINEas part of
`amoredistributed strategy and aimsto provide as much informationaspossible inside the app,
`rather than direct usersto its website).
`
`Whensourcing user-generated content, apps like WhatsApp,whicharetied to a user’s phone
`number,can significantly speed uptheverification processas they providea direct line to the content
`
`https:/Awww.cjr.org/tow_center_reports/guide_to_chat_apps.php
`
`3/41
`
`Page 3 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 3
`
`Page 3 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 3
`
`

`

`7/13/2017
`
`Guide to Chat Apps - Columbia Journalism Review
`
`creator/eyewitness.
`
`Messaging appsarerelatively new and evolving at a rapid pace. Consequently, many newsoutlets are
`still in the processof establishing strategies to best utilize these platforms.
`
`There is emerging evidence that messaging apps maydrivetraffic backto outlets’ other, more
`traditional platforms(e.g., CNN’s Snapchat Discover drove people to seek out longer-form content
`on CNN’s TV newschannel).
`
`PDFsandprinted copies ofthis report are available on the Tow Center’s Gitbook page
`(https://www.gitbook.com/book/towcenter/guide-to-chat-apps/details).
`
`Introduction: The Dawn of the Social Messaging Era
`
`“The social media phaseof the Internet ended,” declared Fred Wilson—aleading venture capitalist
`andearly investor in Twitter, Foursquare, and Tumblr—in his 2014 “WhatJust Happened?”year-in-
`review. He continued:
`
`Entrepreneurs and developersstill build social applications. Westill use them. But there isn’t much
`innovation here anymore...messaging is the new social media...families use WhatsApp groups instead
`ofFacebook. Kids use Snapchatinstead ofInstagram. Facebook’s acquisition of WhatsApp in
`February ofthisyear wasthe transactionthat definedthis trend."
`
`Messaging Apps Have Caught Up To Social Networks
`Monthly Active Users For Selected Top 4 Social Networks * And Mesagging Apps**
`
`2,500
`
`2,000
`
`1,500
`
`1000
`
`500
`
`0
`
`—Big 4 Social Networks
`—Big 4 Messaging Apps
`
`Sy
`RY
`DY
`RE
`RD
`RD
`nm
`RY
`A
`nm
`RD
`OF
`A
`A
`By
`AS
`nf
`ate”
`he” i A ne
`nt” A OAS
`nly Ot
`pO” OF OF nO” GO” OF AO? nO” WO” WO ne & Ro
`JINTELLIGENCE7 i
`,
`,
`Source: Companies, Bt Intelligence. “Sociol networks: Twitter, Linkedin, Focebook, Instagram, **Messoging: WeChat, Viber, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger
`(http://cjrarchive.org/img/posts/tow-content/uploads/2015/11/CHATAPPSPage6_Chart.png)
`While Wilson’s views maybe surprising to some,statistics support them. Business Insider
`Intelligence released an infographicin April titled “Messaging Apps Have Caught Upto Social
`Networks,”indicating that major chat apps (WeChat, Viber, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger)
`now have more combinedusersthan the top social networks (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and
`Instagram).* And according to Mary Meeker’s “Internet Trends 2015” report, messaging apps make
`
`
`
`BlO)
`
`]
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`https:/Awww.cjr.org/tow_center_reports/guide_to_chat_apps.php
`
`4/41
`
`Page 4 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 4
`
`Page 4 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 4
`
`

`

`7/13/2017
`
`Guide to Chat Apps - Columbia Journalism Review
`
`up 60 percentofthe top 10 global apps by both usage and numberofsessions.* Like any presumed
`overnight success, WhatsApp’s rise wasactually part of a broader movementthattook years to
`coalesce within a zeitgeist moment. Facebook’s $22-billion purchaseof the app merely marked the
`day that everyone, even those with limited interest in technology, learnedthatthe era of social
`messaginghadarrived.
`
`Any user now downloadingthe world’s 10 biggest chat apps for the first time may bestruckbytheir
`similarities. Dig deeperinto their histories, though, and you'll see that each company conquered the
`globe with one unique,core innovation before incorporating someof its competitors’ strongest ideas:
`LINEpopularizedstickers, Viber perfected free mobile calling, Snapchat invented ephemeral
`messaging, Kik pioneered mobile chat anonymity, Telegram supplied chat encryption, Tango
`delivered mobile video chat, WhatsApp introducedthe simplicity of free texting, and WeChat
`created the messaging app as mobile web portal. Facebook Messenger,for its part, forged an
`amalgam ofall those apps, and nowlooksto differentiate itself with the introduction of M, an
`artificial intelligence chat assistant.
`
`Objectives and Methods
`
`In this guide, we explorethecritical role chat apps can play in the distribution of digital journalism
`today andin the years ahead. As mobile traffic andreferrals from social platforms continue to grow
`for the majority of news organizations, chat apps present a profound opportunity for audience
`development and engagement.
`
`According to Pew Research Center’s “State of the News Media 2015”report, 78 percent ofthe top
`50 digital news websites receive morevisits from mobile devices than desktop computers. And
`analytics firm Parse.ly, which delivers audience insights to over 400 newsorganizations including
`Wired, The Atlantic, and Reuters, claims 43 percentofreferrals to its publisher network now come
`from social media (outpacing searchat 38 percent).
`
`Messaging has emergedas the newfrontier of social on mobile, and the sheersize of audiences on
`the top global chat appsis too big to ignore. These appsalso present an opportunity to diversify
`mobile traffic sources and to minimize vulnerability should Facebookor other platforms decrease
`traffic for publishers.
`
`For our research, we conducted interviewswith leadership at numerous major messaging app
`companies,as well as early-adopter newsorganizations. We selected companiesandcasestudies
`that demonstrate the diversity of opportunities within the ecosystem,while also highlighting the
`uniquenessof each chat app platform.
`
`While publishers generally indicated optimism and excitementfor their work on chat apps, nearlyall
`pointed outthat as an industry wearestill in an early, exploratory phase. Most major chat apps spent
`the last few years perfecting their user experience, only recently turning their attention to media-
`ownerpartnerships. With that in mind, we urge readersto not only learn from the case studies
`presented,but alsoto initiate experimentsof their ownto find the right strategy for any editorial
`team.
`
`https:/Awww.cjr.org/tow_center_reports/guide_to_chat_apps.php
`
`5/41
`
`Page 5 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 5
`
`Page 5 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 5
`
`

`

`7/13/2017
`
`Guide to Chat Apps - Columbia Journalism Review
`
`A Brief History of Chat Apps
`
`Moderninstant messaging and SMSboth begantheir march to prominencein the early and mid-
`1990s. The difference betweenthe twois subtle: SMS (the acronym for “short service message”)
`allows mobile phoneusers to send each other text messages without an Internet connection,
`whereas instant messaging enablessimilar functionality via the web. Thefirst SMS message was sent
`over the Vodafone GSM networkin the United Kingdom on December3, 1992, with the words
`“Merry Christmas.”Israeli firm Mirabilis released the first widely used online messenger, ICQ (short
`for “I Seek You”), in 1996.
`
`Precursors to ICQ date as far back as 1961 when MIT’s Computation Centerbuilt the Compatible
`Time Sharing System (CTSS), allowing up to 30 users to log-in concurrently and share text messages.
`CompuServe’s CB Simulator, released in 1980, is generally recognized asthefirst dedicated online
`chat service; it required users to pay monthly fees for membership.
`
`In 1985, Commodorelaunched Quantum Link (or “Q-Link”), an online service for Commodore 64
`and 128 that enabled multi-personchat,file sharing, electronic email, games, and news via modem
`connection. Quantum Link changed its name to America Online (AOL) in 1991, and by the mid-90s
`wasthe leading U.S. Internet service provider and portal to the web.
`
`The companylaunched AOLInstant Messenger (AIM) in 1997 and purchased competitor ICQ in
`1998 to consolidate its primacy over instant messaging. Along with a few competitors,it also
`pioneeredchatrobots like StudyBuddy and SmarterChild that provided information and played
`gameswith users.
`
`In 2006, AIM controlled 52 percentof the instant messaging market, but it struggled to monetize
`and wentinto rapid decline in the face of competition from services like Google Talk, Yahoo! Chat,
`MSNMessenger, and Skype. The growing popularity of BlackBerry Messengerin the late 2000salso
`pointed to a bright future for mobile messaging.
`
`By the time mobile chat apps like WhatsAppandKik arrived in 2009, SMS wasking. Mobile texting
`became a key modeofglobal, personal communication, earningbillionsof dollars for
`telecommunications companies.
`
`But time and technology did not prove kind to telephone-service companies. As smartphones began
`to proliferate, messaging apps were an increasingly accessible solution to a simple problem: SMSis
`expensive in most countries, so whynottext or call much more cheaply,orfor free, via the mobile
`web?
`
`SMSvolumepeaked in 2012, and chat apps surpassed SMSin global message volumeforthe first
`time in 2013.* By January 2015, WhatsAppalonehosted 30 billion messages per day comparedto
`about20 billion for SMS.°
`
`As Wi-Fi and high-speed mobile networkshitcritical mass in many markets, chat apps quickly
`became multimedia hubs whereusers could easily share videos, photos, stickers, games,articles, live
`streams, and more. Between 2013 and 2014, many messengersturnedtheir attention to monetizing
`
`https:/Awww.cjr.org/tow_center_reports/guide_to_chat_apps.php
`
`6/41
`
`Page 6 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 6
`
`Page 6 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 6
`
`

`

`7/13/2017
`
`Guide to Chat Apps - Columbia Journalism Review
`
`their massive audiences,and in doing so introducedtools for publishers and brands.
`
`Facebook: A CompanyReinvented for the Messaging Era
`
`Facebook Now Has More Accounts On
`Chat Apps Than OnIts Social Network.
`
`br Tale Mtie alts Lea EaB eeU]
`
`Charting Facebook's Rapid
`Plimemim ace Mey
`the Social Networking Era
`
`Page 7
`
`https:/Awww.cjr.org/tow_center_reports/guide_to_chat_apps.php
`
`Page 7 of 41
`
`‘i = 19 Vat es 5chen 4 re
`Piresacte-acgiapenaininayre-y
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`
`Page 7 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 7
`
`

`

`7/13/2017
`
`Guide to Chat Apps - Columbia Journalism Review
`
`Created by Block Perty ond Percolate
`
`(http://cjrarchive.org/img/posts/tow-content/uploads/2015/11/CHATAPPSPage9_Graph-1.png)
`
`With a mix of foresight and irony, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has done more than most to
`close the era of social networking andusherin one of social messaging. In 2014, he placed two
`massive bets on messaging: a $22-billion purchaseof the world’s leading chat app, WhatsApp, and a
`new requirementthat Facebook users download a standalone Messengerapp to converse with
`friends.
`
`By September 2015, WhatsApp and Messengerhad1.6 billion active, monthly accounts combined—
`outpacing Facebook’s 1.49billion active, monthly accounts. The companyalso launched an open
`API for Messenger, encouraging developers and publishers to build custom appsfor the ecosystem.It
`simultaneously began beta testing Businesses on Messenger,a toolfacilitating e-commerce and
`customersupport. In August 2015, Instagram,another of Facebook’s acquisitions, launched
`enhanced one-to-one messaging—encouragingusers to share photos and videos from the newsfeed
`within private chats.
`
`A Flow from East to West
`
`Despite the boldness of Zuckerberg’s repositioning, Facebook wasrespondingto trends more than
`shaping them.A large swath of chat app innovation continuesto originate in Asia on platformslike
`WeChat and LINE,and Western appsoften appropriate those platforms’ best products.
`
`WeChat,in particular, has a monolithic presence in China reminiscentoflate 1990s Internetportals
`like AOL and Yahoo (with a modern mobile twist). Users not only talk to friends and consume news
`on the app, but also make purchases,payutility bills, book taxis and doctors appointments, enroll in
`brandloyalty programs, monitortraffic and air pollution, and report incidentsto the police.
`
`That dominanceof the mobile web in countries like China mightnotbeaslikely in other markets,
`but it has servedas inspiration for ambitious Western chat apps plotting roadmapsfor growth and
`monetization. Like WeChat, Japan’s LINEis also incredibly advancedinits product offerings,
`grossing $656 million in revenue in 2014. By contrast, while leading Western messenger apps may
`boast multibillion-dollar valuations, they often have profit and loss sheets in the red.
`
`https:/Awww.cjr.org/tow_center_reports/guide_to_chat_apps.php
`
`8/41
`
`Page 8 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 8
`
`Page 8 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 8
`
`

`

`7/13/2017
`
`Guide to Chat Apps - Columbia Journalism Review
`
`Timewilltell if the same winningstrategies will work halfway aroundthe world. But for news
`organizations in North America and Europe looking for a glimpse of how the market may look in one
`to two years, downloading WeChatand LINEisthebestplacetostart.
`
`Regional and Demographic Strongholds
`
`Whendevising your ownstrategy for messaging apps,it’s vital to select the right platform mix for
`your organization, based on threecorecriteria:
`
`Regional Strongholds:Only a small group of apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Viber
`can be said to be truly global—and eventhoseplatformsstruggle in certain countries. Meanwhile,
`messengers like WeChat, LINE, and KakaoTalk completely dominate specific markets but have
`negligible traction in others.
`
`Demographics:It’s a common misconception that messaging appsare a uniformly millennial
`phenomenon. Someappslike Snapchat and LINE skew both young and female, but otherslike Tango
`(which boasts 100 million monthly,active users, by our estimate) predominantly appealto those
`aged 25-54 andstrongly over-index with Hispanic and African-Americanusers.
`
`Product Features:If your primary goalis to drive traffic directly back to your website, that won’t be
`possible with apps like Snapchat that don’t support clickable URL links. Andif you wantto launch a
`sticker/emoji-pack campaign, LINE andViberare great options, but you can rule out both WhatsApp
`and Snapchat. Each app hasa particularset of features, so make sure to choose one that supports the
`activation you have in mind.
`
`Industry Challenges
`
`Fragmentation: The social media landscapeis entering a period of hyper-fragmentation that may
`be a challenge to publishers: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram continueto loom large, but social
`media managerscan now launchofficial channels on roughly 10 chat apps with over 50 million
`monthly,active users each.BuzzFeed,a perennial innovatorin digital audience development,
`provides a great example of whatit lookslike to be on nearly all of these platforms. Starting with the
`launch of a share-to-WhatsApp button on mobile in February 2014, BuzzFeedhasalso built an
`official presence on seven additional major messengers,as seen in the timeline below.
`
`Analytics: For organizations accustomedto robust, real-time data, the lack of good analytics tools
`for messaging apps remainsa major deterrent to adoption. Thechallenge is twofold: Strong analytics
`dashboardstake timeto build, and many messengersare privacy-centric by nature.Thelatter issue
`hasled to an existential crisis for apps keen to remain trueto their roots while also attracting brands
`and appeasinginvestors. To the far left, companies like WhatsApp and Telegram have made public
`promisesto shun personaldata collection and advertising. Closer to center, Snapchat and Kik collect
`basic informationlike age andlocation for ad targeting, but denounce “creepy,” hyper-targeted ads.
`Otherplatformslike Pinger seem moreinclinedto offer rich data collection and hyper-targeting of
`anonymizedusers. Specifically, Pinger leverages keyword datato let advertisers reach users based
`on theirinterests.Still, in a landscape increasingly driven by programmatic ambitions and data-
`centric decision making,chat apps currently deliver comparatively limited information in basic
`
`https:/Awww.cjr.org/tow_center_reports/guide_to_chat_apps.php
`
`9/41
`
`Page 9 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 9
`
`Page 9 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 9
`
`

`

`7/13/2017
`
`Guide to Chat Apps - Columbia Journalism Review
`
`dashboards,or in somecasesvia analog reporting. Most are mobilizing to remedythe situation
`quickly, and a hostof third party services are also beginning to create dashboard solutions based on
`the major apps’ willingnessto grant APIaccess.
`
`GrowingPains: As messaging apps respondto the demandsof spectacular growth, publisher
`partners we’ve spokento haveat times foundit difficult to get consistent support or answers to
`questions aboutplatform capabilities.Apps like Tango have also madelarge changesto their channel
`formatfor publishers— starting with a newsfeed that helped drivetraffic to content, but
`transitioning to chat rooms geared toward discussion. While changeslike this are understandable as
`partof a processfor looking to find experiences that resonate with users, the volatility can be
`unsettling.Other platformslike WhatsAppcurrently havelittle interest altogether in providing tools
`for publishers. Their emphasis, for the time being,is purely on connectingusersto friends and
`family. And while this may nottechnically qualify as a growingpain,it certainly poseslogistical
`challenges for companies attempting to adaptthe appto their needs.
`
`Industry Opportunities
`
`Higher Engagement: Since many chat apps provide publishers with push notifications or chatbot
`experiences (programmable robots that converse with users—see glossary), they can deliver
`significantly higher engagementrates than Facebook and Twitter. For example, LINE’s Euro-
`Americas CEO Jeanie Hanclaims that 55.8 percent of push notifications sentto followersofofficial
`accountsare read.° This advantage mayerodefromits current levels as new publishers compete for
`attention on each platform, but message openratesarestill likely to supersede social network news
`feeds.
`
`Audience Development: Withbillions of active users across multiple major chat apps, publishers
`have been successfulin building large audiencesfairly quickly on several platforms.
`
`A Chanceto Connect With Users in a New Way:Messagingappsoffera host of features not
`unavailable on social networksor other platforms. Publishers can creatively leverage these tools to
`tell stories in new ways. For example, Snapchatlets users write and draw ontop of content from
`publishers before sharing with friends. Companies like BuzzFeed are also experimenting with
`publisher-branded emojis that followers use to enhance personal conversations on appslike LINE.
`
`Building Community: Chat appsoffer an opportunity for readers and viewersto easily connect,
`share, collaborate, and discuss a rangeoftopics. Platformslike Kik and Tango,for example,let
`companieshost their own chat roomswherereaders and viewers can meetanddiscusstopics of
`interest. And Snapchat’s Live Stories allows peoplein a specific geolocation to contribute eyewitness
`media to a crowdsourcedvideopiece the entire Snapchat community can view.
`
`Key Players and Case Studies
`
`For publishers acting as early adopters, 2014 and 2015 has been a period of great experimentation.
`In addition to learning the strengths and weaknessesofvarious platforms, news organizations have
`also explored different strategies for adapting their professional voice to an ecosystem filled with
`
`https:/Awww.cjr.org/tow_center_reports/guide_to_chat_apps.php
`
`10/41
`
`Page 10 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 10
`
`Page 10 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 10
`
`

`

`7/13/2017
`
`Guide to Chat Apps - Columbia Journalism Review
`
`emojis, stickers, games, memes, and more.
`
`We’ve takenalook at someof the main messaging platforms and how newsorganizations use them.
`
`LINE:Japanese Chat AppSpinsFunVisualsinto Big Profits
`
`Audience:211 million monthly, active users
`Top Markets:Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Spain
`Demographics: Majority aged 16-34 years
`Key Features: Free to use; multimedia file-sharing capability; works acrossall major mobile phone
`platforms and PCs; timeline newsfeed;official brand accounts with CMS and onedaily pushalert
`limit; stickers, coupons and gamesforfree and paid.
`
`LINE(theofficial trademarkis capitalized) is a Japanese messagingappinitially created in response
`to the Tokyo earthquake in 2011 as a means for employees of parent company NHNJapanto stay in
`touch.It was releasedto the public later in the year and experienced significant growth across the
`country andin the region,particularly in Thailand, Taiwan, and Indonesia.
`
`It stands out as the mostprofitable messaging app on the market, with a recent App Annie report
`suggesting LINE asthe mostprofitable of any app in June 2015.’ Thisis in large part dueto its hugely
`popular gamesandstickers market, which drive roughly 60 percent and 20 percent of revenue,
`respectively. The companyreported $656 million (JPY 86.3 billion) in gross revenue for 2014,far
`outpacing its competitors.®
`
`LINEhasofficial accounts for brands and publishers, offering them a dedicated CMSbrowserto
`create and managedaily pushalerts and contenton the account’s homefeed.
`
`BuzzFeed Builds LINE Audience with Push Notifications, Stickers, and Comics
`
`BBC Newsandthe The Wall Street Journal are among the newsorganizationsthat have a million-
`plus subscribers to their LINE accounts, experimenting on different content models around video
`(BBC) anddaily alerts and breaking news (The Wall Street Journal). BuzzFeed, a more recent entrant
`to the platform, has taken a very different approach.
`
`Bryant Hua,associate social media editor at BuzzFeed, explained the company’s thinking:
`
`LINEisprobably oneofthe most exciting messaging apps, becauseyou can send globalpush
`messages, but there’s also afeed on the home channelthatyou can publish to. We were more able to
`curate the channelin a BuzzFeed way. Comics are oneofthe big areas that we'repushing into—we
`have comics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram—andthisplatform in particular seemsto be a place
`wherethe audienceis reacting well to them.
`
`LINEhasits own web browser-based CMSandprovidesthe ability to schedule posts, which makes
`managing the account much moreefficient.
`
`https://www.cjr.org/tow_center_reports/guide_to_chat_apps.php
`
`41/41
`
`Page 11 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 11
`
`Page 11 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 11
`
`

`

`7/13/2017
`
`Guide to Chat Apps - Columbia Journalism Review
`
`The BuzzFeed channelrarely links back to its main website, a similar strategy that it employs on
`social media platforms, too. Hua added: “We have a more distributed strategy in 2015 and we’re not
`totally focused on drivingtraffic backto the site, so we provide as muchinformation with the feed as
`possible.”
`
`Oneof the most effective ways to attract new subscribers on the platform (asis the case with several
`other chat apps) is by using stickers. BuzzFeed debutedits own sticker set, enabling LINE users to
`download themforfree as long as they subscribed to the BuzzFeed channel. This helped BuzzFeed to
`acquire a following of over 200,000 within a few monthsof launch.
`
`33 ay ai eeea
`
`a
`Add this friend, get this free!
`
`Sticker Details
`
`BuzzFeed
`BuzzFeed
`
`J alid IO]
`
`lal 1 oa
`
`Download
`
`LOL, OMG, CUTE and morewith BuzzFeed! Friend
`BuzzFeed's Official Account to get them! Available until
`August 24, 2015.
`
`https:/Awww.cjr.org/tow_center_reports/guide_to_chat_apps.php
`
`12/41
`
`Page 12 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 12
`
`Page 12 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 12
`
`

`

`7/13/2017
`
`Guide to Chat Apps - Columbia Journalism Review
`
`
`
`(http://cjrarchive.org/img/posts/tow-content/uploads/2015/11/CHATAPPSPage15_BF2.png)
`
`LINEalsoallowsusersto interact with content using emojis. Insteadof clicking a “like” button, users
`can choosefrom a selectionof six different emojis to express how they feel about a story or piece of
`content(Facebook begantesting a similar approach called Reactions in October).’ Interactive polls
`and a commenting system alsolet users respondin text and with stickers, which Huasaid is a unique
`waythat LINE engages with audiences. A recent feature asked usersto select the house from Harry
`Potter’s Hogwarts which they mostfit into; it was one of BuzzFeed’s most engagedpostssince the
`channel launched.
`
`CLTsoi: ade| ee
`
`10:37 AM
`
`BuzzFeed
`belong in?
`
`Which Howarts house do you
`
`https:/Awww.cjrorgitow_center_reports/quide_to_chat_apps.php
`
`13/41
`
`Page 13 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 13
`
`Page 13 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 13
`
`

`

`7/13/2017
`
`Guide to Chat Apps - Columbia Journalism Review
`
`Which Howarts house do you belong in?
`
`
`
`Slytherin
`1.240
`
`Gryfindor
`4,048
`
`
`
`Ravenclaw
`1609
`
`Huffleputt
`1,104
`
`(http://cjrarchive.org/img/posts/tow-content/uploads/2015/11/CHATAPPSPage15_BF3.png)
`
`Huaopenly admitted that hard newshasn’t particularly worked on the LINE channel—headline
`bulletins from the news apps team haven’t generated much engagementlike they do on someother
`social media channels.
`
`https:/Awww.cjr.org/tow_center_reports/guide_to_chat_apps.php
`
`14/41
`
`Page 14 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 14
`
`Page 14 of 41
`
`Facebook's Exhibit No. 1029
`Page 14
`
`

`

`7/13/2017
`
`Guide to Chat Apps - Columbia Journalism Review
`
`The experienceis in direct contrast with the LINE channels of BBC Newsand TheWall Street
`Journal. Both of these accounts passed the one-million-subscriber markearlier this year. The
`difference in how audiences engage with newsontheir channels, comparedto that of Buzzfeed’s,is
`potentially attributable to subscribers’ different expectations from the brands, with Buzzfeed more
`typically offering large slices of humorand viral memes alongside somenewscontent.
`
`WeChat: China’s Tencent Reinvents the Web Portal for Mobile
`
`Audience: 600 million monthly, active users
`Top Markets: China, Malaysia, Hong Kon