SINGAPORE: A short message service trial which allows readers of
the national daily to respond to advertising promotions through their
mobile phone has been launched by the country's largest newspaper
publisher.
Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) has teamed up with Singapore
Telecommunications and M1 to test the new service, which rolls out in
August. In the trial, 1,250 consumers receive a special edition of The
Straits Times, which has articles and advertisements with phone numbers
and offers attached.
For example, when a free product sample is advertised, consumers call
the phone number in the ad. A short message is sent to their mobile,
with an electronic coupon, which can be redeemed at any participating
retail outlet.
Users can also call the numbers, attached to news articles, to get extra
information, photos or video footage. This material is automatically
sent to a personal email account.
Seshadri Sampath, executive vice-president Prism, the SPH division
overseeing the initiative, said: "This is a way for us to make the
newspaper more interactive and provide additional services to readers
and integrated solutions to advertisers."
