MEDIA-I: Mamasans help drive mobile sales

<p>GUANGZHOU: Korean manufacturer Samsung is claiming that sales of </p><p>its A288 dual folder mobile phone have climbed in Guangzhou following </p><p>the launch of a customer relationship marketing campaign, which </p><p>identified mamasans (bar hostesses) as the key drivers of sales. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>FCBi created the pilot campaign, which is credited with driving sales up </p><p>by 185 per cent and doubling Samsung's consumer data. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The agency's regional director, David Crane, said: "It was interesting </p><p>that we found the key influencers to be mamasans who work in karaoke </p><p>bars in Guangzhou. This helped the client identify its key group. We </p><p>also know that the phones were most appealing to young couples so we </p><p>used the 'Sun and Moon' theme. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"What was encouraging was that the store dealers wanted to take part in </p><p>future promotions." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The campaign used the Sun and Moon creative, similar to the ying and </p><p>yang concept, to represent a man and woman; the aim was to position the </p><p>phone as a "vehicle for lovers". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The 10-week promotion also offered a series of premiums and incentives </p><p>to help drive sales. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Samsung is taking the internet seriously and this is the first time it </p><p>did any CRM in the region. The mobile market in China is huge and there </p><p>is a lot of competition because companies are also competing with store </p><p>outlets. The focus of this campaign was a return on investment. The </p><p>success of the campaign means that it could be rolled out in other areas </p><p>in the future." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>FCBi tested various media and set up a 'virtual' sales force to develop </p><p>incentive programmes. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Samsung China senior marketing manager, G I Yoo, said: "Samsung is </p><p>committed to enhancing the relationship with end consumers. With the CRM </p><p>approach, Samsung can better understand their needs, and provide them </p><p>with excellent products and more personal services. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"The pilot campaign will be a valuable learning experience for the </p><p>future direction on our consumer customer relationship management </p><p>programme development in the Greater China region." </p><p><BR><BR> </p>