VIDEO INTERVIEW: LINE Corp is using a strategy of localisation and partnerships to achieve the ambitious goal of reaching one billion users for its mobile messaging service during 2015.

Hyunbin Kang (pictured), head of business development for the company, told Mobile World Live, that the current user growth rate means “it’s possible to reach the goal” set by Akira Morikawa, its CEO, in April.

Illustrating the potential of the app to reach such a lofty target, Kang pointed out that no one thought it would reach the current 450 million users when it was launched two and a half years ago.

Kang explained that once organic growth is identified in a country, LINE ramps up marketing and promotional activity. It also localises content available on the platform, including stickers and games.

The main challenge for LINE is “to understand user behaviour and also [the] marketing environment in each market”, according to Kang.

To this end, the company conducts focus groups, and collects user and market data which is “very meaningful for us to define the market strategy in terms of the localisation and to implement our products”.

In addition, LINE works closely with operators, multinational companies and large local businesses to cater for consumers in specific markets more effectively.

In some countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, operators can actually use LINE to encourage more people to use data services, according to Kang.

“So in these markets, the important thing is how to let customers know that they can use these data services. And in order to do this, hero applications such as LINE are very important for operators,” he explained.

Watch the full interview to find out more.