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What happened
The company behind the app Sileme, which translates as “Are you dead?”, targets people living alone and requires users to set one emergency contact. The app sends automatic notifications if a user does not check in for consecutive days. The company introduced an 8-yuan (about $1.15) payment scheme and said it will release a new version using the global brand name Demumu. The app surged to the top of Apple’s paid app chart, and China is estimated to have up to 200 million one-person households with a solo living rate exceeding 30 percent, according to the Global Times.
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Key insights
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App branding change for global audience: Sileme said it will adopt the global brand name Demumu in a forthcoming new release.
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Monetization to cover costs: The company said it would launch an 8-yuan payment scheme to help cover increasing costs.
Takeaways
Sileme, a check-in safety app for people living alone, is rebranding globally as Demumu and charging a fee as its popularity rises.