In the midst of foreign instant messengers’ domination, a local messenger tries to make a stand. Yes, after being filled with foreign players, e.g Japan’s LINE, Korea’s KakaoTalk, China’s WeChat, and U.S. WhatsApp, Indonesia’s digital scene is now welcoming the local RightHere Messenger, a product by Right Here Media which aims to be the bridge brands and their customers.

It is indeed not the first of its kind messenger, as there are Stealth Messenger and Telegram. However, RightHere claims that its security system is better than its predecessors, or we can say, competitors.

What makes RightHere Messenger unique is that it bridges brands and their customers. The app also facilitates communities to get the best out of its features.

As usual, to activate the app users will need to input their phone number to be verified. It should be noted, though, that users still have to include the country’s code (+62 for Indonesia) into their phone number. This contradicts what the app states in its guide. After putting their number, users only need to enter the verification code sent to their mobile via SMS.

The social feature that this app holds enables brands enhancing their engagement to their customers way better. Unlike a group chat, RightHere Messenger lets brands creating channels that can be subscribed the customers. A special deal may then be offered to those who subscribe the channels. This would be much better than sending promotion through personal messages which is annoying most of the times. At a glance, this feature is similar to LINE’s Official Accounts and KakaoTalk’s Plus Friends.

The cool thing is, it’s not only brands who are allowed to create channels, but also customers as well.  In this regard, the channels act similar to a group chat. The communication activities in that certain channel is moderated by a person, who is appointed as the moderator, to avoid any unpleasant occurrence to occur.

So far, users may only customize the wallpaper and theme of their RightHere Messenger. Unfortunately, it’s not something innovative, as almost all of its competitors have done exactly the same. Moreover, the app only provides two selection of theme: black and white.

RightHere Messenger has now been available on Android and iOS platform.

[Header illustration: Shutterstock]