MEDIA-I: Yahoo massages online growth

<p>HONG KONG: Yahoo is offering free massages at shopping centres in </p><p>its first-ever joint campaign with Visa Hong Kong to encourage locals to </p><p>shop online. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The portal has set up Stress-free Kiosks at shopping centres, offering a </p><p>20-minute massage to customers who shop and pay with Visa. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Alfred Tsoi, Yahoo general manager, Hong Kong, said: "The idea behind </p><p>the massages is to show that shopping on Yahoo is stress-free. In cities </p><p>like Hong Kong where everything is so convenient you need to give users </p><p>a reason to shop online. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"The appeal of shopping on Yahoo is that it's relaxing. We believe </p><p>ecommerce is still in its relatively early stage here; hopefully the </p><p>massage idea will give people an opportunity to consider it." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The campaign coincides with the first anniversary of the launch of the </p><p>Yahoo Shopping section and follows the signing of a global agreement </p><p>between the portal and Visa International. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Under the agreement, Visa serves as the default payment option within </p><p>international versions of Yahoo Shopping, Yahoo Travel and Yahoo </p><p>Wallet. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The pact also extends to offline marketing initiatives, including </p><p>television advertising, regional print advertising and select statement </p><p>insert programmes, outdoor posters and airport signage on a </p><p>region-by-region basis. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In a separate development, Yahoo has linked up with film studio Mythical </p><p>Films to launch a regional hunt for a young talent to star in The </p><p>Touch. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Yahoo will encourage young internet users in China, Hong Kong and </p><p>Singapore to apply for the role of James Bond actress Michelle Yeoh as a </p><p>14-year-old in the film, which is scheduled for release next year. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>A promotional website, touch.yahoo.com.hk, has been created for the </p><p>talent search. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>According to Tsoi, Yahoo has not ruled out further involvement with </p><p>Mythical Films after the talent search. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>