Viber picks Philippines for launch of new MSME business solution

MANILA, Philippines — Rakuten Viber, a global leader in messaging and audio-video communication, has chosen the Philippines for the launch of its new suite of business tools for small and medium-sized businesses.

With its new business-specific features, the superapp is transforming into a communications hub for a wide range of businesses, supporting their marketing goals and enabling local users to discover services, company officials said during the launch held recently at Conrad Manila.

The first solution to launch on the platform is a free, self-serve communications hub for small and micro businesses to conveniently engage with local customers, manage incoming queries, enhance business discoverability, and drive sales, said Cristina Constandache, Viber’s chief revenue officer.

“Viber is evolving more and more toward the utility space where the features being raised and the products being released are for those users and businesses heavily using the app. The personal messaging space will always be enhanced, that’s what the app is all about but ultimately, what we see is that users are  asking for more utility services in order to make their daily life easier” she told The STAR.

While developing the new solution, Viber invited Filipino MSMEs to participate in the beta test. As part of its personalized onboarding process, the company curated audiences at 15 local trade shows, listened to their input during more than 300 in-depth interviews, and built the core features like catalogs, search, and discoverability based on the feedback received from the local business owners.

Among the early adopters to Viber’s self-serve beta business account are millennials (33 percent are younger than 35), and comprised of a vast majority (80 percent) in the food business.

Over half (57 percent) asked to add a search function, with 48 percent saying they needed discoverability, and 65 percent wanted to have their own catalog.

Viber’s free offering for small and micro businesses was inspired by its successful Viber Business Accounts product for enterprise-sized-level companies. In the first half of 2023, Viber recorded a 30 percent increase in business accounts created and a 34 percent increase in delivered business messages in the Philippines.

“The Philippines is an incredibly important market for us. It’s not only the biggest market in Southeast Asia, it’s also a market that has grown a lot over the last couple of years,” said David Tse, Viber’s senior director for Asia Pacific.

The company also plans to introduce features like broadcast messages, voice calls, and quick and automatic replies that will take communications for small business owners to the next level. Tailored pricing plans will be offered soon based on market feedback to expand the initial set of free self-serve business solutions.

“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. For those seeking growth, we deliver solutions that pave the way right within the app. With Viber as a growth partner, businesses have a communications platform for adapting to new challenges that arise on their business journey,” Constandache said.