pps creator Screenshots of Kelson’s EURO 2012 app
Stelvin and Anders
partners in Norway and Denmark. Mr. Stelvin Tham, Business Development Director, says that most of its clients were Scandinavian in the beginning stage. However, the company’s customer base has grown to include more Thai and other foreign companies in Thailand. One of the company’s main advantages here is that all staff can speak good English. “Many start-up companies who have business ideas come to us. We discuss ideas and offer them advice on feasibility and cost-effectiveness. If they are interested, we then give them a quotation,” says Stelvin.
Mobile apps trend Since the mobile apps trend has taken off, the company has created many apps for iOS (iPhone, iPad etc) and Android devices such as online banking apps, currency trading apps, beer branding apps, cooking apps, restaurant menu apps, advanced
games apps and many more. One of the company’s most popular apps is a game app that the company developed together with one of its Danish partners for Danish Carlsberg Brewery, which launched the app last Christmas to promote the release of its annual “Christmas Brew” of Tuborg beer. The app was very well received and became the top downloaded app in Denmark for a few weeks last Christmas. Based on number of downloads, another most popular app created by Kelson is EURO 2012, which hit over 50,000 downloads globally during the football season. The app allowed users to see football fixtures and receive instant updates on teams’ scores and ranks. “I told the guys in the office to take some time off their main work to create an app that they want. The only one condition was that that they must include the company’s logo on there for promotional purposes. A lot of them like football and they came up with a brilliant idea,” says Stelvin. The app was free to download. According to Stelvin, the purpose there was to showcase mobile apps created by Kelson which hopefully will bring more clients to the company.
success comes from a large number of downloads,” says Stelvin. “But you can also sell apps. If you have an app that is demanded by a mass market worldwide, for example the ‘Angry Birds’ game, which hit at least over 30 million sales, then it takes off and a price of 99cents per download could lead to millions of dollars.” Though there are many mobile apps available in the market, just a fraction of them become global hits. “A lot of people think they can just make an app and it’s going to sell itself just because it’s available out there. To make an app popular, it actually requires a lot of marketing and research. You need not only to create the best app that stands out, but also to create interest in that app among people,” says Anders. The company’s rates for making an app vary depending on complications and technical work requirements. For a simple app that works on a mobile phone without internet connection, prices start from 30,000 baht. “We seldom go under 100,000 baht for creating an app. Many apps are complicated to make because we need a server site that links informa-
tion to the system. For example, we created an app called ‘Skuup’ for a Norwegian client. This app monitors a user’s location and provides information about available discounts at businesses within a 5km radius. This kind of app requires a huge system,” says Anders. Apart from making mobile phone apps, the company also offers web design and graphic design services. Though Kelson’s service rates are higher than most local companies, Stelvin states that the company delivers quality and handcrafted designs, and clients are sure to get what they pay for. To give the office a good creative environment, the company aims to keep the office atmosphere casual and relaxed. “This isn’t just work,” says Stelvin. “We do this for fun as well.” For more information, contact Kelson Co., Ltd. Forum Tower 32nd Floor, 184/221 Ratchadapisek Road, Huaykwang, Bangkok 10310 Tel. 085 225 1730 or visit www.kelson.co.th
Marketing tool “Most of the free apps we make are usually used for marketing purposes. There are many free apps with advertisements in them, and Screenshots of the special app Kelson and its Danish partner created for Carlsberg Brewery November 2012 • ScandAsia.Thailand 33