Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) announced on Jan. 29 that a small team for better support business will be launched in Taipei.
“Taiwan is a priority market for Facebook. We want to help local businesses, both big and small, to grow locally and regionally,” said Dan Neary, Facebook’s vice president for Asia-Pacific.
Facebook said that the small team was designed for rolling out workshops and roadshows, and targeting specifically at advertising and media agencies, small and medium-sized business, brands and developers, throughout the year. Facebook, however, did not elaborate how many employees they will recruit in Taipei office and when this office will be launched.
“We have seen small business like online seafood retailer i3fresh grow their market share and experience a three-fold increase in sales through their campaigns on Facebook. Brands like Estee Lauder (FRA: ELAA) were also able to leverage Facebook to reach specific target audience groups,” Neary said. “They ran a campaign around its Resilience Lift Diamond product in Taiwan and found the Facebook platform to be 40 times more efficient at reaching the target audience than TV.”
Jayne Leung (梁幼莓), head of Greater China for Facebook, said that the establishment for the Facebook Taiwan office will increase the level of support available to Taiwanese clients and agencies.
“We recognize the potential and opportunities that Taiwan presents and are looking forward to working closely with Taiwan businesses, partners and the government to help local businesses grow,” she said.
Taiwan’s Vice Premier Simon Chang (張善政) visited the new office privately on Thursday morning (Jan. 29) and said that in addition to the office, he is also hoping that Facebook will set up a data center in Taiwan.
“Of course I hope so. Who wouldn’t want that?” Chang said.
Chang, a former executive for Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL), said that Facebook plays a crucial role in the daily lives for Taiwanese people. He said that Facebook’s Taiwan office will introduce more innovative marketing tools and business models for local e-commerce operators and help encourage young app developers in the country.
In response, Facebook said that all kinds of proposals remain possible, but no specific decision is made as of now.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs said that Taiwan Facebook Ltd was established in Taipei’s Xinyi District on Dec. 24 last year, with capital of US$95,400. Leung, head of Greater China for Facebook, serves as the representative of the local branch. Facebook said in an email statement that it has a few key areas of focus in Taiwan, with the top priority being educating and helping business understand and reap the benefits of the Facebook platform. Data from Facebook indicated that there are approximately 15 million active Facebook users in Taiwan, while 13 million of them log on via mobile devices.
