ID number: 652676325541171563
Permalink: http://escapist5.blogspot.com/2007/07/nothing-is-for-free-or-maybe-not.htmlVodafone Japan, after being taken over by Softbank March last year, launched a series of aggressive marketing plans to regain it's position in the Japanese market. After all, the mobile business is primarily monopolised by NTT Docomo and AU KDDI, the two mobile company giants in Japan.
In January, "White Plan" was launched. Customers under this plan are entitled to free domestic voice calls to other Softbank numbers from 1am to 9pm (well, that's virtually the whole day). The price? 980 yen. Which is like less than 50% of the basic payment charged by other companies, even under student price. Then, later, came "W White Plan" - voice calls to numbers of other companies at half price for an additional 980 yen per month. And, if that's not good enough for you, there's even a "White Plan Family Discount 24" - free calls between family members throughout the whole day, in addition to those benefits offered to White Plan subscribers.
"Now, what's the trick? How on earth do they make profit from free phone calls?"
No one knows. Of course, it could probably be a commercial geek: to attract customers. Despite the fact that I know nothing about business, logic tells me that when you start to have more than four million users subscribing to these call plans, the company's going to turn into a big charity organization.
The recent commercial on "White Plan Family Discount 24" kept me thinking. If you haven't already seen it, check it out on You Tube or better still, from Softbank's commercial gallery.
Basically, it goes like this.
In January, "White Plan" was launched. Customers under this plan are entitled to free domestic voice calls to other Softbank numbers from 1am to 9pm (well, that's virtually the whole day). The price? 980 yen. Which is like less than 50% of the basic payment charged by other companies, even under student price. Then, later, came "W White Plan" - voice calls to numbers of other companies at half price for an additional 980 yen per month. And, if that's not good enough for you, there's even a "White Plan Family Discount 24" - free calls between family members throughout the whole day, in addition to those benefits offered to White Plan subscribers.
"Now, what's the trick? How on earth do they make profit from free phone calls?"
No one knows. Of course, it could probably be a commercial geek: to attract customers. Despite the fact that I know nothing about business, logic tells me that when you start to have more than four million users subscribing to these call plans, the company's going to turn into a big charity organization.
The recent commercial on "White Plan Family Discount 24" kept me thinking. If you haven't already seen it, check it out on You Tube or better still, from Softbank's commercial gallery.
Basically, it goes like this.
Aya's brother (God knows why he's a Black while she's obviously a Japanese) comes over to the reception, asking Aya about the White Plan Family Discount 24.Now, back to the question: Nothing's for free. So what's the catch? "There's a reason behind everything."
"With the call plan, domestic voice calls to family members are free of charge 24 hours a day." Aya explains.
"But, why? I don't understand."
"Me neither... " Aya admits. Then, turning to the dog accompanying his brother to the shop, adds, "And why is it that dad is a dog?"
"There's a reason behind everything!" replies "dad".
"Reason? Then, what's the 'reason', dad?" asks Aya.
"It's too early for you to find out!" exclaims "dad".
"It's too early for you to find out!"
1 comment:
EXACTLY! Haha. You did good sharing this with the world.
And thank you very much for providing a link to my photo site.
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