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Tokyo (pte027/13.07.2005/12:57) - Admitting that the company was struggling in the cut-throat Japanese market, the president of Japanese unit Vodafone K.K Bill Morrow said that the company will aim its marketing at young, hi-tech-savvy people in an attempt to boost sales.
Vodafone K.K's total number of subscribers increased by 5,300 in June but five consecutive monthly drops saw the total number fall to 14,966,600 at the end of June.
The company's operating profit fell by 14.6 per cent to 158 billion yen (US$1.43 billion) on sales down by 11.2 per cent to 1.47 trillion yen ($13.3 billion) in the first-quarter of this financial year.
The British telecommunications giant will now make the 'young active segment' - those aged in their late teens to late twenties - the company's 'primary target in Japan, Morrow said. These are young adults who "are in the fun stage of their lives, who want to build social communities and a circle of friends and still stay connected to their families."
These customers aren't afraid to pay more for advanced products, and Vodafone could invest more in 3G technology, which allows things such as Internet connections, Morrow added.
Shiro Tsuda, chairman and chief executive officer of Vodafone K.K. said: "We are still in a severe position even though the number of subscribers in June increased for the first time in six months."
"In the past, we not only failed to meet customer needs but also failed to cooperate with business partners such as content providers," said Tsuda, a former senior executive vice president at Japan's biggest mobile operator NTT DoCoMo.
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