WhatsApp – The World’s Favourite Social Media Platform

We’re looking at the next in our series of The World’s Favourite Social Media Platforms. Number 1 is WhatsApp, the secure messaging app.

Here’s what you need to know about WhatsApp for your drinks brand:

As of October 2025, WhatsApp had 3 billion global active users, with over 17% of active social media users saying that it is their favourite social media platform. This is more than Instagram (16%), Facebook (13%) or WeChat (11%).

WhatsApp gets more popular with age! Older demographics are more likely to say that it is their favourite social media platform, peaking with 21% of 55-64 year olds. Slightly more males (51%) than females (49%) use it.

WhatsApp is very popular in overseas markets which appreciate its security features. Markets such as Ghana, Nigeria, Morocco, Argentina and Brazil feature in the Top 5 for usage at least once a month.

The average daily time that active users spend on WhatsApp is 59 minutes, just slightly less than Facebook, so that’s plenty of time for them to see your brand.

Drinks brands are using the WhatsApp’s functionality strategically as part of their international marketing activities:

• Absolut Vodka created a “virtual doorman” named Sven for the launch of their “Absolut Unique” campaign in Argentina in 2013. Users had to convince Sven via messages, images and voice notes to get tickets to an exclusive party, resulting in more than 600 interactions in three days.
• Heineken actively used WhatsApp in 2025 for engagement particularly in Brazil. They developed the “Could have been a Heineken” bot to combat “voice note fatigue”. This allowed users to exchange voice notes longer than three minutes for a free beer voucher, incentivising in-person socialisation.
• Saffola, an Indian health food and beverage brand, used their “Beat the Crave” campaign to use a WhatsApp bot as a “digital audio buddy”. This was aimed at to helping customers to avoid unhealthy snacking, which resulted in a 483% increase in sales.

The Secret Sauce of WhatsApp Success

If your audience is on WhatsApp, here’s what you need to know to make a success of it:

1. Set up a Business Profile rather than a personal one (or switch it) to establish professional credibility. Include your business description, contact details and opening hours.
2. Encourage customers to opt-in to your subscriber list for updates on your brand. Add your WhatsApp number to your marketing materials, website and other social media platforms.
3. Create compelling content to engage your audience. Share exclusive content, product updates and special offers to those who have opted-in to create a personalised experience.
4. Leverage WhatsApp’s one-to-one messaging to provide personalised customer service that adds value to your brand. Use it to deal with enquiries, resolve customer issues and ultimately build stronger relationships with your customers.
5. Use WhatsApp’s status updates to post time-sensitive updates to bring attention to new products and time-limited promotions or behind-the-scenes activities such as a trade show presence or product launch.