Your under 10 year old: not hand-me-down, but new cameraphone? Yes KDDI Japan innovates

I'm chairing at the annual big 3G telecoms conference in Tokyo and my presentation today was on mobile phone user interface and design (with related iPhone comments of course).

What I love about this annual "must-do" 3G event by MarcusEvans in Tokyo, is that for the 3G/mobile telecoms world, this is really where the coolest and newest stuff happens and is shown. Inspite of where South Korea is pulling ahead of Japan in multiplayer gaming, broadband internet, digital TV etc, and even on 3G to a slight degree - the allure and reputatlon of Japan - where 3G was first launched commercially over five years ago in October 2001 - so that all other country representatives speaking here are also at their very best to show "they too" can match Japan.

I'll do a blog about the event and its cool stuff later (am still here in Tokyo and posting from the hotel at night after a long day). The one story I HAVE to write about, tonight, is the kids' phone by KDDI the second largest operator in Japan.

Yes many know that in Scandinavia the majority of the 6-9 year olds have mobile phones, and in Europe rapidly that segment is the biggest growth target. But for children under 10, in almost all cases the subscription may be new, but the phone is a hand-me-down phone from a parent or elder sibling. Or if a new phone, it would be the absolute cheapest phone on the market. It isn't until the children at mid-teens who tend to pick and select their phones by features and functions.

So here in Japan, the second largest mobile operator, KDDI, has made a revolutionary offering. They developed a line of childrens' phones, with those aimed at the youngest being targeted at the under 10 year olds. And yes, these new phones are cameraphones (with flash...)

A definite moronic marketing move, you might say. Or is it.

Let me show what these phones will do. First, they are honest childrens phones. With bright basic colours, greens, blues, reds, yellows. Bright! With strong cases to handle the inevitable drops from pockets. With rounded edges. Childlike in outward appearance. Flip-phones to protect the colour screens.

But yes, open up the flip phone and now you see this is really for young kids. You get cute animal screen greetings of random type. Open it now, you see a giraffe. Close it and open again, see a horse. Close and open, see a butterfly, etc. Really cute stuff for young kids.

Then the user interface. An icon-driven interface, but cute, bubbly icons to phone calls, messages, camera function, ring tones, etc. Again very colourful, appealing to young kids.

But what of the camera. What parent in their right mind buys a new cameraphone for their "rug-rats?" Ha-ha, here is the brilliance of KDDI understanding this market. For this age, you don't sell the phone (and service) to the kid, but to the parent. What is the biggest worry of a parent giving a new phone to a young kid. Its that the kid gets BULLIED and the phone is stolen. Lose money and traumatize the child.

Not with this childrens' phone. It has a built-in alarm. One that is viciously loud. But better than that - when that alarm is sounded, the phone camera takes a picture ! Yes, that is why the flash, because the target may be attempting to bully (or rob) the child in a dark alleyway. And yes - the best part - when the alarm goes off, the childrens' phone - and KDDI - immediately send a picture message to the parent. If the child is in trouble, just take out the phone, sound the alarm, point the camera at the bully, and your PARENTS immediately see who is attempting to bully the child.

BRILLIANT !

What is the cost of adding a secure feeling to your child? What is the cost of YOU being secure that your child has real-time video protection? Now the cost of a cheap VGA-picture quality cameraphone on a simple basic phone - yes being a new handset - is irrelevant. EVERY parent in the industrialized world, who can afford a new phone for themselves, can also afford this childrens phone to their child.

I have been pushing the "segmentation" message at the mobile telecoms industry for years, including in the global bestselling telecoms book 3G Marketing (into its second printing). But even I was not thinking that the sub-10 year old segment could sustain the market opportunity of new phones (especially new CAMERAphones). Again I have been proven wrong. And yes, of course this kind of innovation, like iMode on DoCoMo in 1999, like cameraphones on J-Phone in 2001, like Location-based maps on KDDI in 2002, like 3G on DoCoMo in 2003, like FeliCa on all three Japanese networks, etc etc etc, again we find the innovations in Japan.

Your child? Of course you'll get a cameraphone to your child too. Now it only takes some time for this innovation to spread around the world. I think KDDI has approximately half a year head-start until its local rivals release similar services and phones.

I love it how this industry continuously surprises us!

Comments

[Benjamin Joffe]

Hi Tomi,
Great to read you are having a good time in Tokyo!

If you liked the kids' phone, you must see the Seniors' phone, and the design phones! Actually, you should simply go and visit the KDDI Designing Studio (their showroom) in Harajuku (lower end of takeshita doori).

KDDI has been immensely successful with the designers and senior phones (we did a research recently on those 'segmented phones' in Japan). Lots of good things to learn for foreign operators!

PS: let me know if you visit Beijing soon, I'd love to arrange a keynote for you at Mobile Monday :-)

[Tomi T Ahonen]

Hi Benjamin !!

Thanks for visiting and posting the comment. Yes, I visited the KDDI Design Studio in Harajuku - wow, five floors of KDDI stuff, with nothing actually being sold. A true branding/engagement marketing venture, not a superstore. Loved it.

Yes, I saw the other phones, but I've seen stuff for the senior citizens and women etc before. They were "predictable" segmentation developments, while definitely cool yes.

But this childrens cameraphone is sheer brilliance in breaking the mold, and turning something most unexpected into something parents soon have to have.... That is why I had to blog about it immediately.

Oh, and yes, we'll have to get together soon. I was in Beijing earlier last year, but I'm sure I'll find reason to return soon, and when that happens, we'll do the Mobile Monday for sure!

Tomi :-)

[Averie]

Hi,tomy
thanks for the blog.
haha, This is a passer by. I think there is another non-negligible part of that kids' phone is the automatical GPS location. The location information will be sent to the parents when the alarm is sounded.

[Tomi T Ahonen]

Hi Averie

Yes, DEFINITELY. I kind of took that for granted, but yes, KDDI is the carrier/mobile operator in Japan who introduced Location-Based services to Japan, so yes, they are definitely the ones to do this fully in the phone.

Thanks for pointing it out. It "slipped my mind" having been so long on the KDDI LBS story, ha-ha..

But a VERY valid additional issue of value in the child's phone

Thanks for writing

Tomi Ahonen :-)