October 26, 2005
China mobile airwaves hum with ghost-writing
In China, legions of modern-day ghost-poets are working for the nation's two mobile phone companies, reports Reuters.
"... Big bucks are the main driver behind a flood of sweet nothings and holiday greetings being floated into the airwaves by China Mobile and China Unicom.
Both are unleashing syrupy greetings and other messages to their subscribers in hopes they will like what they see and forward the greetings, paying 0.10 yuan (1.2 cents) or more for the privilege of sending a short text message or SMS.
Whether original or recycled greetings, the yuan add up, with SMS messaging bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars, or as much as 10 percent of the companies' revenues, according to some estimates.
Never mind that such messages would be considered spam in most markets, or that some recipients might feel deceived once they learn the sender may not have composed the verses just for them.
... "It's a good strategy, as long as it's not so annoying," Nomura International analyst Kelvin Ho said. "Obviously if people find them interesting, they'll send them along, forward them. As long as it's funny and appropriate."
A typical greeting reads:
"A kettle of old wine is soft and fragrant, mellow and rich;
"A verse of old song brims with feeling and longing;
"A harvest moon is long in the sky and broad on the ground;
"A word of good wishes can travel with you anywhere.
"And an SMS message can send you off with a flourish."
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