There is a brilliant way to keep communicating digitally in the non-face-to-face era brought by the COVID19 pandemic. News, writings, and other information can be easily obtained anywhere through mail, which we call ‘mailing service.’ ...............................Ed
Recently, the ‘Mailing Service’ has drawn more attention because of the non-face-to-face routine brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, the subscription economy through OTT services (Over-The-Top media services), like Netflix and Watcha has thrived. The Mailing Service is a subscription service that offers content by E-mail to people.
The market of the Mailing Service has been launched by Daily Lee Seula. Daily Lee Seula starts by sending her short essays. Then, it delivers a variety of genres, like interviews, fiction, and reviews. Starting with this approach, Mailing Service now appears in many fields, like journalism, literature, painting, music, etc.
The newsletter is presented as a form of journalism. It is briefly written to keep current events, which can be considered as difficult to understand, concise. It eliminates formalities. So, it can make people feel closer to the news than before. Newspapers advertise themselves to people with non-heavy images through the newsletter.
In literature, the activation of the mailing service stands out. Writer Moon Bo-young sends her diaries twice a week by e-mail. She writes the first and last scripts by hand and sends them to subscribers. It is a service called Delivery of Diary. Writer Cha Do-ha runs the Voice Mailing Service by sending voice records of her poems. Through these examples, a mailing service can be a tool that new writers can use to show their talents to people.
The mailing service can be a communication tool between artists and their fans in the world of music. In the case of Kim Sa-wol, she started the mailing service, 2021 Kim SaWol Show in April by contacting her fans. Meeting fans face-to-face became difficult because of COVID-19. The mailing service in the music industry consists of sharing the artist’s perspective, daily routine, taste, or music before its release date. Also, it can be an opportunity to form bonds between artists and fans.
Mailing content is different from existing content delivery services like YouTube, a major publishing company that depends on fame or capital. However, the mailing service works without the reputation of the producer or the company. It can be a chance for rookies in the arts to show their potential because it only focuses on the quality of the content. Contents are sent directly to the subscribers. This move can keep subscribers feel closer to the content makers. Either way, the mailing service has been quite convenient. People can sign up for a mailing service easily by writing their e-mail address in a form. By subscribing to the mailing service, people can get information they want, and minimize time and money spent to search for information.
The subscription economy has been supported by consumers who want production of many varieties in small quantities. On the other hand, we never know when daily non-face-to-face contact will end. As long as current circumstances continues, the mailing service can be an oasis to the public who are eager to enrich one’s cultural life. In conclusion, there is vast potential for the future development of mailing services.
Jeon Min-young (ST Cub-Reporter)
sharonmy@soongsil.ac.kr
