Fly on corporate wall

The recent launch of True Corp’s “TrueYou” card signalled a new round of fierce competition among the leading communications firms.
As a newcomer to the “privilege card” trade, True surely wants quickly to catch up to and then jump ahead of Advanced Info Service (AIS), whose Serenade card is used by 2.7 million people. And with customers glued to its pay TV, mobile phones, Internet feeds and fixed-line phones, True potentially has 30 million cardholders within its grasp.
True Corp has spent more than a year collecting customer data and reckons that 610,000 subscribers will initially go for the TrueYou card. It expects 60,000 of those people to opt for the True Black card and the rest for the premium True Red card. By comparison, of the 2.7 million AIS subscribers, 100,000 use the Serenade Platinum card.
True’s budget for the card, as revealed by deputy head of strategic planning Tanaphon Manavuthiveth, is a massive Bt30 million for the first year. Keen to maintain its lead, AIS has earmarked a far more massive Bt1 billion.
So True truly has no choice but brinkmanship. AIS reserves parking spaces for its Serenade Platinum cardholders, so True Black subscribers will get free valet parking, and we hear it has been negotiating with the big malls.
Every AIS Serenade subscriber gets a “personal assistant”, so TrueYou will include a personal code to press to have someone call you right back. What kind of help do you need? It could be anything – driving directions, restaurant bookings, checking your service balance. Maybe they’ll make you a nice cup of tea, or maybe vacuum your carpet. Doesn’t hurt to ask!
Kidding aside, you can certainly expect shopping discounts, bonus points and other indulgences. Who could resist all these goodies? The slogan for AIS Serenade is “Every day is special”, and it probably is.
Is every day special for Total Access Communication (DTAC) subscribers? The slogan they’ve long been hearing is “Feel good”, but lately they’re not feeling as good as people using True and AIS.
Yes, sure, there’s the Bt16 dividend per share paid to DTAC shareholders, but the ordinary folks using the service aren’t being offered valet parking or anything else. Maybe True Corp’s ambitious move will get DTAC thinking about a “Feel Good’ card.
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