Three UK's MSN marketing strategy
For a while now, Three UK has been bigging up it’s MSN Messenger (or “Windows Live Messenger”) offering all over the place. There’s an MSN button on their web frontpage advertising the service and almost every advertisement I’ve seen recently has contained some mention of MSN.
Their webpage advert reads:
Save a fortune on texts by getting unlimited Windows Live Messenger on your handset. Only available until 31st October 2006.
I wonder what happens after 31st October? Are they going to make people pay for it? I wonder what the MSN position is on this.
Here’s the small print:
Free MSN offer available direct from 3 to new approved customer registering on Direct VTT 1000 or Direct Text 1400 with selected handsets by 31.10.06. The number of MSN messages is subject to a fair use policy of 200 messages per day or 6,000 messages per month. Minimum term contract, handset and service limitations and terms apply. MSN net passport account required. For life – you can get MSN Messenger free for as long as you stay on the promoted price plan. Handsets subject to availability.
It’s a little bit … I dunno… inaccurate to say you can ‘get it free’ only if you stay on the selected price plan. People are gonna believe that. Obviously it’s total hogwash. You can download a client to your Nokia or Sony Ericsson that, for a few dollars registration fee, will let you chat to everyone on MSN, AOL, GoogleTalk and beyond. (I’m thinking Shape Services IM+ for example). What’s more, if you are being charged for the data and even if you’re paying 3+ quid a meg, that cost will far outweigh the equivalent amount of text messaging.
So I’m not that impressed with this element.
But, I am mega impressed at the method in which they’ve aligned themselves closely with an application which is critically close to the heart of many non geek mobile users.
I was extremely surprised when chatting to a rather good looking girl last week who explained to me that she was considering changing from T-Mobile to Three because ‘you get MSN with it’.
No less than four other people have remarked something similar to me in the past few weeks.
Fantastic, fantastic. Everyone knows MSN. It’s heavily used in the offices up and down Britain (where the administrators allow it) — not to mention the homes — so what a great way to connect with mobile users looking for something a little bit more from their operator.
Another person I chatted to commented, ‘Ooooh it does MSN?’
‘Yup, but you can get that on Vodafone, T-Mobile, o2 or anyone, really…,’ I replied.
‘Right, but it comes with the phone if you get it with Three,’ he tells me.
Since so many people know MSN — there’s next to no education required. The public ‘get’ it right away. And I reckon it must be pulling quite a few people into the Three stores.
I’m a little confused as to what happens after 31st of October when this offer ‘runs out’. I’m sure that Three won’t want to be fitting out every handset with MSN as standard lest it wean some people off their text addiction.
Anyway, I’m impressed at the MSN alignment strategy.
