Telenor Xpress 2 - 2000

Promoting the nation - and the phone

"Phone cards are symbols of both the science and the culture of our time. They express something about our national identity, combining the appeal of both postage stamp and post card."

These remarks are not from the marketing department of Telenor, but stem from the well-known Norwegian crime novelist and phone card collector, Gert Nygårdshaug. According to Telenor product managers Espen Erfjell and Heidi Selnes, Nygårdshaug is not alone - phone cards appeal to both users and collectors alike. "A small number of phone cards will never be used; they will end up in albums. To collectors, the value of the card increases if it has not been used. We are more focused on the general user," Erfjell explains.

In Norway, cards may be purchased for 40, 90 or 140 NOK (roughly 5, 10 and 15 USD) each. Less expensive promotional cards are also available. Availability depends upon agreements between Telenor and different shops, post offices, kiosks, etc. "You're seldom far from a distributor," says Selnes.

Some cards are strictly promotional. Companies, such as Telenor order, design and distribute the cards to promote their business. "We are a bit patriotic," says Erfjell. "We show Norwegian nature, beautiful landscapes and popular Norwegian artists, such as Munch and Vigeland. We commemorate national jubilees, sport fixtures and cultural arrangements. Although some of our cards are targeted toward tourists, our main line of cards (25 - 30 different designs issued each year) is intended for general users.

"Previously, young people between the ages of 15 and 25 were the most active phone card carriers, but today most of them have discovered mobile phones. Although phone card sales have dipped with the increase in mobile phone use, business remains brisk," says Erfjell.

Indeed, collectors anxiously anticipate the release of new cards, hoping for limited editions, promotional cards for small companies, or cards from unusual batches such as the special Svalbard cards, which are sold only in shops on Spitzbergen (Norway's northernmost island territory).

As for the rest of us, all we need is a simple and cheap way to make a phone call.