Mon, Sep 29, 2008 page11

• SkinJam seeking to make life a little more beautiful

  IT’S A WRAP A Taiwanese and a Singaporean joined forces to coat cellphones and laptops with a thin film, offering their owners a chance to personalize the devices

  • By Rachel Chan / CNA, WITH STAFF WRITER
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  Originating in Japan around eight years ago, “skinwraping” electronic gadgets such as cellphones, iPods and laptops to beautify and protect them has swept across Taiwan and other Asian countries. Now, a Taiwanese-Singaporean company is taking the trend one step further by establishing an international brand and production chain.

  Two years ago, Taiwanese Clitt Chu (朱裕弘) took his expertise on coating materials to Singaporean Jeremy Lim, founder of the brand SkinJam, which has expanded to East Asia and the Middle East and Europe and has now set its sights on North and South America.

  The concept is to coat high-tech gadgets in a thin protective film to make them scratch resistant and sweat resistant, using trendy designs that not only protect but beautify the electronic devices.

  

  Mobile phones customized with a decorative and protective film by the Taiwanese-Singaporean firm SkinJam are displayed on Saturday.

  PHOTO: CNA

  Chu said SkinJam’s dream is to introduce the brand to the world.

  “Branding is so important in the global village that if we just focus on the Taiwan market we would be limiting ourselves,” Chu said.

  “The countries we want to enter are those that are highly visible on the international stage,” he said.

  SkinJam’s headquarters have moved from Singapore to Dubai — “the magnet for businessmen from around the world,” Chu said.

  Although the company was launched during a global economic downturn, Chu indicated that he is optimistic about its prospects.

  “The market is always there. The only question is how to find it,” he said, noting that the oil exporting countries are the least affected by the global economic slump.

  Chu said SkinJam’s Dubai branches sell mobile phones decorated with real diamonds.

  While Taiwaneses pay around NT$850 to skinwrap their mobile phones and NT$1,680 to wrap their laptops, in Dubai the price is three to four times higher, he said.

  The firm has operations in Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Turkey and Russia. It opened a London branch this month and will add a Brazil operation later this year, Chu said, adding that the expansion has been carefully researched.

  Chu said the company has been able to expand so fast around the globe is because it studies, localizes, strategizes and enhances the personalized gadget market for a new generation.

  “We always tell our employees, ‘You are making creations rather than products,’ and a sense of achievement is what makes the difference,” he said.

  While there is no shortage of skinwrap choices in Taiwan, SkinJam offers a service that is different from others, Chu said.

  “Uniqueness and distinctiveness are what we strive to achieve,” Chu said. “Our products have individuality and a sense of design because they are custom-made.”

  Chu said that unlike other companies in Taiwan, SkinJam offers much more than just protection for electronic devices.

  “Apart from providing protection, our service includes beautifying gadgets and conveying a sense of caring and satisfaction,” he said.

  Rather than downloading patterns from the Internet, the company hires three designers to create unique designs. Similarly, the coating material is made by means of a green production process, using very little lead or cadmium. This method is now being patented in Dubai, Chu said.

  Skinjam offers other specialty services such as long lasting color printing, enhanced thin and clear surfacing that blends with all gadgets, skinwrap film that lasts a minimum of five years with care, and removal of skinwrap material without damaging the devices.

  Customers can also “bling” their gadgets by covering them with genuine Swarovski crystals, Chu said.

  Working with Studio A, the first Apple-accredited premium reseller in Taiwan, SkinJam has its own exhibition and working booth in the Studio A store. Chu said the two companies formed an alliance because they have the same high quality and positive brand image.

  SkinJam also works with telecom and food companies to custom-design their products and is planning to tap into the do-it-yourself market by launching ready-to-apply packages for online sale.
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