`Mobile Coupon!

▽ Why Mobile Coupon? 〓 Because the telecommunication companies, distribution industries & manufacturers and consumers make profits owing to the service.

The telecommunication companies pick the mobile coupon as the field for the largest extensive consumers among the mobile internet services. Game or Short Message Service (SMS) are mostly for 10’s or 20’s consumers, but the coupon can expand its use to housewives and middle ages people.

Telecommunication companies don’t charge other costs except the charge for telephone call when downloading the mobile coupon. As there are over 1,000,000 subscribers, they are thinking of charging the fee of 500 won a month.

It is good for manufacturing in target marketing. Such as Cheiljedang, Yuhan Kimberly and Haechandle, the companies which have produced the consumers’ goods, have executed the coupon marketing continuously. However, Not consumers but wholesalers and retainers have mostly taken papers or paper coupons.

Besides, mobile coupon can measure a popularity of the goods because the mobile subscriber must download and use it. The issuing cost is cheaper than the paper.

It also provides the profit to consumers. The discount items and discount rate depend on the period, but the consumers can buy the goods at the discount of max. 30%. Consumers can get the discount for the movie ticket.

Introduced the service last year, SK Telecom said that 40,000 subscribers are currently using the service. KTF started the mobile coupon service in August and LG Telecom will expand the service soon.

▽ Which Service? 〓SK Telecom Users (including 017 subscribers who can access ‘NATE’ with a terminal) can use the mobile coupon in the total 300 chian stores of Galleria, New Core, Hanwha Store, E-Mart, LG Supermaket, Daegu Department Store, Mega Mart, McDonald and so on. SK Telecom plans to increase the chain stores to 1000 stores within the year and will expand its use to a theater, performance, them park and condominium.

KTF has implemented the mobile coupon service for total 120 items through partnership with the nationwide 190 large stores including New Core, Kim’s Club, Hanwha Mart, Haitai Mart and LG Supermarket.

LG Telecom will extend the subject of the restricted mobile coupon service on an air-ticket reservation, restaurants, and beauty shop to the discount stores. Jeong Myeong-Suk (26, office worker) said “I often use the mobile coupon to buy goods, see the performance and to go to a night club.”

Im-Sook Ha artemes@donga.com