A short discussion document for an evening discussion about digital opportunities for Myanmar's digital entrepreneurs. The evening was hosted by Myanmar's civic media incubator - Phandeeyar.

1. Moving Beyond Facebook:
Digital Opportunities for Myanmar
June 2015
Yangon, Myanmar

2. Facebook is Everywhere, but…
q It is a very robust answer to a very simple media problem:
“How can we re-create online the social experience that exists offline?”
q It cannot reflect the very special characteristics of every market.
q It is limited by the way it is designed, and its design changes
frequently.
q It brings together a lot of traffic and potential advertisers … that you
can build on.
q It doesn’t speak Myanmar at all and most languages in SE Asia are
still mostly foreign to it.

3. So how do you build around Facebook?
Based on my experience there are two “strategies” to follow:
1. Tried and (usually) true.
Find a media solution that works in other markets and create the
best version of that solution for Myanmar.
2. Find a uniquely Myanmar media problem and then develop a
uniquely local solution.
In both of these cases, you will need to think about the unique
Myanmar circumstances and solve for them in your strategy.

4. Here’s a list from the vantage point of Silicon Valley?
1. Language – Myanmar and several regional languages
2. Audience – young, male, divided between urban and rural
3. Mobile – mobile page views account for over 70% of all Myanmar
web traffic
4. Under-developed infrastructure – transportation, logistics,
education, communications
5. Finance – lower income, under-developed electronic payments
6. Advertising – small industry with little to no experience of online
marketing

5. Business Models and Strategies
Digital businesses tend to fall in a few major groups defined by
model and strategy.
Let’s look at some examples – Tried and true and local unique.
Businesses Models
q Content/Programming:
- Advertising
- Paid Content
q Classifieds/Directories
q eCommerce
q Services
Success Drivers
q Audience definition/
Content costs
q Marketing strength
q Inventory/Marketing/Logistics/
Payments
q Technology/Payments/

6. Content: Tried and True
Rappler.com
• Philippine based news site
• Online only
• Video driven
• Unique social features
• Revenue model : Advertising
• Audience: Urban, 18 to 35 y/o.
• Mobile

7. q Rural; High illiteracy
q Internet Penetration <1%:
Mobile penetration >50%
q Indian restrictions on
broadcast news.
q Growing rural incomes
Content: Local Solution

8. Content: Gram Vaani – Local Solutions

9. q Mostly urban; mobile
q Internet Penetration >70%:
Mobile penetration 100%
q Recent history of food chain
scandals.
q Rapid decline in traditional
media employment
opportunities
Content: Local Solution

10. Content: News & Market (上下游)

11. Classifieds: Tried and True
Quikr.com
• Indian free classified site
• Top 25 site by traffic
• Mobile friendly
• 8 language versions
• Revenue model : Fee for
services
• Audience: Urban, 18 to
35 year olds.

12. Classifieds: Local Solution
Shaadi.com
• Indian matrimonials site
• Top 500 site by traffic
• Mobile friendly
• Revenue model : Fee for services
• Audience: Urban, 18 to 35 year olds.

13. eCommerce: Tried and True
Bukalapak.com
• Indonesian online
shopping site
• Home delivery
• Multiple payment options
• Mobile friendly

14. q Rural populations targeted;
limited literacy
q Mobile commerce driven
q Partnerships key to success:
- Local shopkeepers
- Consumer product distributors
q Limited working capital sources
to drive revenue expansion for
local shopkeepers
eCommerce: Local Solution

15. eCommerce: Local Solution
StoreKing.in
• eCommerce Service
• Kiosks installed in rural shops
• Payments made in person
• Product delivered through product distribution

16. Services: Tried and True
Coc Coc
• Vietnam’s #1 Search Engine
• Local developers
• Unique character input tools
• Multiple online services built
around search – local, maps,
advertising

17. q Large urban online audiences
q Mobile internet penetration
reaching 50 to 60%
q Low investment in urban
infrastructure, in lieu of large
sports projects
q Large protests at state of urban
environment and waste or ruling
elites (regardless of party).
Services: Local Solution

18. Colab.re
• Mobile Social Network for citizens
• Urban problems and improvements
• Data access and special
communications tools for a fee
• Clients include city governments and
agencies, utilities.
Services: Local Solution

19. q Myanmar as a market may be your biggest obstacle, but
… it may also be your most important strategic advantage
q Remember you are solving a media problem.
What is your unique solution?
Remember a solution often extends beyond “online”.
q Advertising models are hard.
- Advertising is national first, local will need to be built.
- 3rd parties share in the revenue (Facebook, ad networks).
q Paid content and services may offer some answers, but payment
solutions will need to be developed.
Summary and Advice