Dtac introduces new ‘super tiny’ prepaid plans (Thailand)
DTAC’s prepaid brand Happy, has introduced a bite-size strategy by launching ‘happy super jiew’ or ‘happy super tiny’ with minimum charge at only US$ 0.16. The new promotion aims to support customers’ needs in using value for money and exciting package, and at the same time, builds up value to happy existing customer base in the time that mobile phone penetration is at very high level. At its launch, the new on-top promotion will shift the pre-paid competition to variety of small packages that fit into various needs.
Amarit Sukhavanij, Senior Vice President, Market Division, Total Access Communication PLC. (dtac), said that happy’s challenge in 2012 is that mobile phone penetration is very high. However, they still see rooms to fill in for voice and data usage demand. Happy’s strategy this year is to add value to existing customers by completing on-top promotion with more attractive choices. Ther’ve been continuously developing Segmentation and Brand Strategy with comprehensive customer insights.
Further, they learn that they are people who like to try on new things, update on new trends and compare for the best choice, especially for the most value for money promotion when it comes to mobile phone usage. All lead to the initiative happy super jiew, new small prices on-top promotion that fits into different usages including voice as well as Internet, at the minimum charge of US$ 0.16 only. The promotion also allows customers to change according to daily usage needs.
Amarit added that they are certain that bite-size promotion will help grow happy market and its on-top sales in the future. Moreover, happy super jiew will enforce their happy brand characteristic in the way that it contains fun element to a pleasurable usage. Its pertaining promotions that will come to market in the near future will also add more fun choices to customers as well as position happy as leader of bite-size promotion in customers’ minds.
SK Telecom in ‘strategic’ talks with Virgin Mobile
Virgin Mobile USA Inc. said Wednesday it is in preliminary talks with South Korea’s SK Telecom Co. about possible “strategic options,” a phrase that usually suggests a buyout or major investment.
Shares of Virgin Mobile rose 33 cents, or 11 percent, to close at $3.37 after initially jumping 47 percent on the news.
The U.S. wireless unit of Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, which went public at $15 per share last October, said the talks are in early stages and it will have no further comments until a deal is reached.
SK Telecom is South Korea’s largest mobile phone service operator by subscriber numbers. It’s also the majority owner of Helio LLC, another U.S. cell-phone company, which could be combined with Virgin Mobile. Helio spokesman Rick Heineman confirmed that SK Telecom, Virgin Mobile and Helio are all in discussions.
Virgin Mobile had 5.1 million customers at the end of March, making it one of the largest U.S. “mobile virtual network operators,” or MVNOs. Rather than owning their own network, MVNOs buy wholesale airtime from other carriers. Virgin Mobile uses the Sprint Nextel Corp. network, as does Helio.
Virgin Mobile specializes in marketing prepaid plans and postpaid plans without contracts to younger customers.
Last week, Virgin Mobile’s stock tumbled after it posted lower first-quarter earnings and said it expects to lose between 130,000 and 160,000 net subscribers in the second quarter.
Helio started out in 2006 as joint venture of EarthLink Corp. and SK Telecom. Its aim was to bring the sophisticated features of Korean phones to the U.S., but the venture has had a slow start. It January, it said it had “nearly” 200,000 subscribers.
A number of other companies have tried the MVNO business model, and success stories are few. Amp’d Mobile, ESPN Mobile and Disney Mobile have all shut down.
