Starhub: Swim with Sharks, Then Eat Them

Starhub, one of Singapore's leading telecommunications, television and internet providers, recently sent out a promotional package which includes a seemingly contradictory message.

Sharkfin and Scuba PromoOn the one hand, there's a 15% discount voucher for shark fin, promoted with the tagline "A taste of Thai I can't resist."

But on the other hand, there's a 15% discount voucher for scuba diving courses, promoted with the tagline "I like my fish wild, not on a plate."

So Starhub -- Which is it? Eat the sharks, or swim with them?

Feel free to ask Starhub yourself:

Philip Tan

Head, Consumer Sales

Email: philip_tan@starhub.com

Stevem Terrell (Terry) Clontz

CEO starhub

Email: terry_clontz@starhub.com

Thats hilarious ... oh commercialisation and globalisation .. how sustainable ..

Different rooms to come up with different slogans !

email link doesn't work though Eric.

I just sent them an email, make sure when you do yours that you suggest they put their dollars, their efforts (and their hearts) into one of the "say no to shark fin" campaigns, as that would get divers around the globe patting them on the back.

At least the Scuba promotion is for the Cayman Islands!

Alex

What a Joke, I'm gunna send them an email....

Unfortunately, the promotion is completely serious...

Oh activism! My fave.

Well let's be civilized and let them know about conservation: but let the right people know:

Philip Tan

Head, Consumer Sales

Email: philip_tan@starhub.com

Terry Clontz

CEO starhub

Email: terry_clontz@starhub.com

Why deal with the little people?

Thanks Eric.

So Drew - who's on their board of directors? Maybe we should email them too.

Cheers

James

> Starhub: Swim with Sharks, Then Eat Them

At least it wasn't the other way around!

Oh James, you trying to get me in trouble? The chairman of the board is a big political player and on that island, they don't play fair. Plus he eats sharks fin I'd imagine.

Ok got more info on this "promotion":

Apparently it was part of the promotional plan with Siamese Fins Restaurant and some local dive shop as sponsors. They decided to be tough-in-cheek with it. I've been "assured" that they will not include the fin voucher anymore in the promo package. BUT more emails won't hurt the cause. I'm trying to tie in with local newspaper to get more coverage.

You mean Starhub stated that the dive shop was in on/ part of the shark fin promotion?

No, part of a tic promotion plan using the 2 sponsors. I'm trying to find out which dive shop it is and tell them how their sponsorship is being used. Would be interesting to see the reaction.

Ok, I see. It's http://www.waikikidive.com/

Here is starhub's customer care response to my question about the promo. Interestingly they are concerned about reviewing tag lines not reviewing the promo itself.

darren

From: <customercare@starhub.com>

Date: 22 September 2006 12:18:14 GMT+10:00

To: <xxxxxx@darrenjew.com>

Subject: Feedback on Promotion

Dear Mr Darren

We refer to your email dated 21 September 2006.

Thank you for taking the time to write in and share with us your

views on the ways to improve our services. We are sorry for any

inconvenience this may have caused you.

We have shared your feedback with the relevant department and would

like to assure you that we will be looking into your comments and

reviewing future promotional taglines.

If you have any questions on mobile services, please email to this

address or fax in to 6720 5000.

Best Regards

Louis Oh (Mr)

Customer Affairs

I've just written to Clontz et al as part of the business community in Singapore, reminding him that the outrage and adverse pubility around shark fin soup at Disney World HK did them no good at all.

My personal advice to Chinese colleagues and others who eat this stuff (which is for no other reason than 'status') is that it is extremely bad for their health and especially their sexual potency. In fact it may be the reason that babies are in such short supply in Singapore - it's all that lead and mercury concentrated in the fins that drastically lowers libido. This friendly advice has had far more effect on their diet than any conservation or cruelty message.

He he. Good one, Nick. I'll try that appraoch too next time. I've had mitigated success with other explanations...

Just got this encouraging reply from Starhub:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: philip_tan@starhub.com [mailto:philip_tan@starhub.com]

Sent: Fri 22/09/2006 5:48 PM

To: Nick Jackson

Subject: Feedback on Vouchers

Dear Nick

Thank you for your email of 22 September 2006 to Terry and myself.

We understand your concern and sincerely apologise for the

inadvertent inclusion of the Siamese Fin Restaurant voucher in the

welcome kit for our Hub Club members. It was very insensitive of us

to do that and we have immediately stopped issuing the voucher.

Best regards

Philip Tan

Hehehe Nick

That's the standard reply they sent out. I think 3 people have the draft and use it.

The point is that they still don't want to bear responsibility for advocating shark finning. Plus the coupons are already sent out for the promotion, which ends in November, so of course there's no more sending out of the coupons. In fact, that's a veiled truth pacifier. Time to step up a few notches.