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Messaging Apps North America Viber

Viber dials up US marketing efforts

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By Ronan Shields, Digital Editor

July 31, 2015 | 2 min read

Viber plans to ramp up its share of the US messaging app market, plus increase engagement with its existing global user base with the appointment of Scott Nelson as its first head of North America, plus four separate agencies to bolster the brand’s presence there.

Nelson joins the messaging app service, which claims 600 million global users, to lead marketing efforts there, and has selected media agency Essence, creative shop Droga5, and Laundry Service to leads its social media efforts, plus Alison+Partners for PR.

To kick-off marketing efforts there, the combined outfits will establish a US marketing hub, followed by a six-month integrated campaign to encourage users to download or rengage with the app, in a bid to challenge the market dominance of Facebook-owned rival WhatsApp, which claimed to have 800 million users earlier this week.

A key part of this strategy will involve localisation according to Viber which will pursue the strategy with number of tie-ups aimed at bolstering engagement with its target demographics.

Nelson will report to Mark Hardy, Viber CMO, having earlier held similar communications roles at brands including Converse and SVEDKA, as well as start-ups such as Maverick and Cubiq.me.

“The US has been one of our top performing markets for some time, so we’re looking forward to implementing local marketing strategies with Scott at the helm to further drive this success,” added Hardy.

Nelson added: “Our new agency partners are known for creating transformative campaigns on both a local and global scale. We look forward to seeing their ideas come to life as we ramp up our marketing activity over the next six months and help to change the way people communicate at every moment in their life.”

Messaging Apps North America Viber

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