Sticker (Internet)

A smartphone displaying the Facebook Messenger app and some of its available stickers.

A sticker is a detailed illustration of a character that represents an emotion or action that is a mix of cartoons and Japanese smiley-like "emojis." They have more variety than emoticons and have a basis from internet "reaction face" culture due to their ability to portray body language with a facial reaction. Stickers are elaborate, character-driven emoticons and give people a lightweight means to communicate through kooky animations.[1]

History

Stickers originated in Japan in 2011 when a Korean Internet company called Naver began developing Line in Japan. Due to the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of 2011, many of the country's telecom networks were strained and the company's data-based calls and text messages worked better than regular calls and text messages. In early 2012, the app and the profile of the characters featured in Line’s sticker collections grew quickly, with the latter developing into cult figures.[2]

Use and model

Stickers are commonly downloadable for free, while online stores provide wider alternatives for a price. Stickers are often made along with current fads like Psy’s Line stickers. Stickers are also used as promotional media, as is the case with Despicable Me's minion stickers, Sanrio's Hello Kitty and Walt Disney's Lilo & Stitch.[1][3]

Up until 2013 stickers had predominantly been an Asian phenomenon but seizing upon the success of companies like Line the US market began to see entrants into the space. In 2012 and 2013 the founding of both Swyft Media[4] (formerly Text Pride) and Hi-Art[5] marked the first US companies to enter the sticker market.

Line managers generate around one third (30%) of their profit from stickers.[6] Stickers' commercial success led many companies to add them in their business models. Path 3.0 adds two major features in 2013 to their private social network. One of them is the Shop, part of Path’s ongoing effort to monetize its app that provides stickers to their users.[7][8] In April 2013, Facebook added stickers to their web chat with a Sticker Store.[9] Mobile messaging apps use stickers as a popular monetisation method; almost 40% of polled smartphone users actively use stickers, and more than a fifth of all the polled mobile users said they had paid for stickers/emoji in messaging apps at least once.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 Van, Jennifer (2013-07-02). "Facebook affixes stickers to messages on Web | Internet & Media - CNET News". News.cnet.com. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  2. ↑ Russell, Jon (2013-07-12). "Stickers: From Japanese Craze to Global Messaging Phenomenon". Thenextweb.com. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  3. ↑ Constine, Josh (2013-06-27). "Facebook Launches First Branded Stickers, Previewing A Potential Sponsorship Biz". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  4. ↑ Griffith, Erin. "How one startup is turning emoji into cash". fortune.com. Times Inc. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  5. ↑ Gordon, Jeremy. "Cam'ron Now Has His Own Emojis". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  6. ↑ Lomas, Natasha (2013-05-09). "Line Reports Q1 2013 Earnings Of $58.9M: Half From Game In-App Purchases, 30% From Stickers, 80% From Japan". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  7. ↑ Wang, Abigail (2013-07-03). "Facebook Stickers Now Available On the Web | News & Opinion". PCMag.com. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  8. ↑ Panzarino, Matthew (2013-03-07). "Path Gets Private Messaging and Stickers". Thenextweb.com. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  9. ↑ Constine, Josh (2013-07-02). "Facebook Brings Its Mobile Messaging Stickers To The Web As Their Designer Exits". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  10. ↑ "Stickers are well known and actively used by almost 40% of smartphone uses (last two diagrams in the article)". TechCrunch. 2013-11-27.
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