Study Of Kingcomics.Com

Company Background

Kingcomics.com Limited (KC) was established in March 2000. It is one of the members of Topazman Holdings Ltd. It aims to provide various kinds of locally created comics with superior quality for members from all over the world. Now, there are over 100,000 comic-lovers from Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, England, Canada, USA etc. have registered as members of the site.

It provides online comics, regularly reports latest comic news, releases latest comic masterpieces from renowned comicists, originates online free-gifts games and organizes activities.

Aim

It aims to enhance the development of comic industry and to explore the comic markets through promoting locally created comics with affirmed excellence on Internet.

Besides, it targets comic-lovers from all over the world to become our members, aiming to advance cultural exchange and to expand the dimensions for comic development.

Chapter 2: Develop Customer Profile

How the firm develops customer profiles

By irregular meeting (e.g. comics festival) and online survey, KC builds up customer profiles and uses these data to communicate with customers, so as to provide good customer relationship services to them.

Use customer knowledge to refine its marketing process

The major customers of KC are male, aged 18-50, with high purchasing power and frequently visit the website. In order to make use of the customer information, KC analyzes readersÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦ data from customer profile and divides them into three main customer segments, namely Japanese Comics Group (JC) (Annex A) and Jade Dynasty Group (JD) (Annex B) and Digibook Group (Digi) (Annex C).

After the segmentation, it thinks about customersÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦ needs and wants, and the marketing department will arrange some promotion activities for them.

In JD, most readers want to own whole collections of local comics. In response to this behaviour, it produces some Ð'ÐŽÐ'§weaponsÐ'ÐŽÐ'Ё or Ð'ÐŽÐ'§figuresÐ'ÐŽÐ'Ё to satisfy customersÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦ needs.

In JC, it provides customer promotion, such as to read online comics free of charge, or provides free credit points for new members to read online comics.

After free credit points have been used up, members can purchase extra Kingcomics points for reading online comics, which cost 2 Kingcomics points per chapter of comics. In order to be more convenience to readers, it provides a lot of payment method, such as VISA, MASTER, cheque or pay by cash in the KC office. Besides, it also provides prepaid cards for those non-credit card users. Those cards are also collectable, but now it has been forfeited.

The critical elements in creating values for the customers

As one of the critical asset of KC, customers are the most valuable to the company. In order to create values for its customers, it cooperates with other companies through various channels in different fields so as to make customer value as an additional asset for the company. It can do so by providing customer profiles to its strategic partners as part of the consideration, and in return, they can build up long-term cooperative partnership.

Chapter 3: CRM Strategy

CompanyÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦s CRM strategy

Customer orientation is the main CRM strategy of KC. The company provides various kinds of locally created comics with superior quality for its readers (members) from all over the world. As a result, the heavy burden of costing in buying Hong Kong comics overseas will be minimized. Besides, inconvenience caused by the delay in arrival of comics to overseas countries will be minimized. It also regularly reports latest comic news and latest release of comic masterpieces from renowned comicists, originates online free-gifts games, organizes activities etc., making its website full of diversity to satisfy customersÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦ needs and wants.

To keep on improving its services, the customer service department communicates with members through many channels, such as e-mail and phone. It also acquires opinion through questionnaire and mailbox to meet the expectations of members and to upgrade their services towards perfection.

One example of CRM program

Recently, promotion activity was mainly held in comics and animation festival from July 30 to August 3 2004. In Jade Dynasty Publication Ltd, there is a stall of Kingcomics.com which provides games to attract tourists. Besides, it also distributes souvenirs to new members. When existing members consume more integral to a certain level, they will be rewarded by different kind of gifts. To conclude, it mainly provides range of gifts and new published books to retain existing customer to stay.

Retention programmes for profitable customers

Since KC realizes that customer retention is very important, it uses several channels to retain customer relationship, such as keep communicating with customers by e-mail or telephone, exhibition promotion, membership bonus point reward programme. Further to the previous retention programmes, it can also help on promoting KC by customersÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦ word of mouth, i.e. they introduce KC to friends or relatives. In addition, KC also uses customer information to co-operate with other companies. As a result, it enhances the profitability and benefits to customers.

The key components in the CRM programs

In KC, the visions are Ð'ÐŽÐ'§do it for membersÐ'ÐŽÐ'Ё and Ð'ÐŽÐ'§think what customerÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦s thinkÐ'ÐŽÐ'Ё; management designs convenient and tailor made plans to satisfy members need, maturates payment methods, provides various ways for members to add and deduct points. Members can choose to pay online (VISA card only), send cheque via local mail or go to KC office at Chai Wan for payment.

In addition, it also simplifies the processes of browsing through the web, such as filling in membership registration form, reading comics or downloading wallpapers. With the upgrade in web service, it shows that KC continuity improves its process and tries to provide better online comics reading service to members.

Moreover,