TELEMEDIA 360 LIVERPOOL Out with old media and in with the new

People across the UK are still consuming more traditional TV, radio and newspapers than new online media, according to KPMG’s first Media and Entertainment Barometer, launched this week, but with the rate of new media growth, this may not remain the case long term once the industry has got to grips with how to monetise new media channels at TELEMEDIA 360 in LIVERPOOL on 21 October.

The Barometer, based on a KPMG commissioned YouGov survey, found that online media is catching up fast – almost half of us (47 per cent) visited social networking or blogging sites in the past month, 37 per cent accessed online news feeds, 29 per cent played games online and 22 per cent downloaded music.

But despite growing online audiences, getting consumers to spend money on online media remains challenging; only 11 per cent of consumers indicated that they currently spend anything on online media. And of those that don’t spend, only 11 per cent thought they might begin subscribing to any online media in the next 12 months.

Mark Challinor, European director of the International News Media Association (INMA), a partner in TELEMEDIA 360 LIVERPOOL agrees: “It is crucial for all media companies to embrace new technologies such as mobile. Many traditional newspapers are now starting to realise that their future rests on the ability to adopt a multi channel strategy that can be nurtured over the next few years in terms of interaction, database and content distribution. They are also realizing that significant new revenue streams can be achieved through an integrated mobile marketing strategy. Telemedia360 is the event where this all comes together.”

Don’t just take our word for it, Telemedia360 in Liverpool on 21 October is the place where leading industry experts will be debating the key issues facing the media and telemedia industries as we look at how to monetise cross-platform services and technology.

“We have to explore the tension between traditional and new media: where do the two collide and where do they compliment one another. Which platform is going to win out: PC, mobile phone or TV? We will be exploring this at Telemedia360 in the new channels session”

Paul Maidment, Business Development Director, BBC Worldwide, chair of ‘NEW CHANNELS: Engaging consumers through Social Networking and UGC’ session at 12.30 on 21 October

“Telemedia360 needs to help the industry explore how much can you make from mobile advertising, how big is the market and what is holding it back at the moment.”

Jon Mew, Head of Mobile, Internet Marketing Board, a panellist in ‘MARKETING: How can you use Telemedia to market what you do’ at 16.45 on 21 October

“One of the main themes in monetising media content is CRM. The key to CRM in the modern world is to make it as easy as possible and mobile does that with its ubiquitous nature, fast & simple interaction mechanism SMS and the freedom to make the interaction spontaneously and where ever you are.”

Lee Bowden, MD of Piri and panelist in DATA & CRM: ‘Getting to know you…’ at 15.45 on 21 October

“I will be showing how different platforms and themes attract new customers. 93% of callers to our Live Psychic service are female. However, the text a Psychic and email a Psychic created a 44% male client base. In addition, we are currently trialing a new counselling service to target customers not into Astrology/Horoscopes and also the male/GLBT market via Sexual Health counselling.”

Kevin Parker, Russellgrant.com and panellist in the ‘NEW REVENUE STREAMS FOR MEDIA: What games, gambling, competitions, chat

and psychic bring’ session at 11.30 on 21 October

“I’ll be keen to discuss two things around Revenue/business models – billing models and revenue models. Billing models are a big issue due to high percentage payouts on slot style games – I’d like to get an update on what the operators are doing for alternatives to credit cards.”

Dawn Cooper, commercial manager, Million-2-1 and panellist in the ‘NEW REVENUE STREAMS FOR MEDIA: What games, gambling, competitions, chat

and psychic bring’ session at 11.30 on 21 October

So how do you do this? At TELEMEDIA 360 in LIVERPOOL on 21 October delegates will learn among other things:

• Where the old media and the new media worlds collide – and where they compliment one another

• How UGC can work with produced content – and what will consumers pay for?

• Which platform will win: PC, mobile, or TV?

• How brands, creatives and platform owners can create real loyalty amongst customers?

• How to build a converged interactive media business – the technical capabilities, consumer demand and channels to market are now aligned to allow for such an opportunity

• How much can you make from mobile advertising, how big is the market
What is holding it back at the moment and what’s been done to grow the market?

• How profiling and CRM data increases value considerably and has created a whole new revenue stream for those who see beyond the usual content driven products

• How m-web needs to be coordinated with the complete multi-channel campaign

• The use of online/mobile Horoscope/Astrology “teaser” content to drive incremental revenues in a declining publisher marketplace and the cross platform use of content

• How gambling-style games can increase revenue: successful marketing channels, placements, brand appeal / endorsement.

TELEMEDIA360 LIVERPOOL Take our interactive survey

As Telemedia360 Liverpool gets underway on 21 October next week, we are looking at taking the temperature of the telemedia value chain around the real demands and benefits of delivering media content cross platform.

Running in conjunction with Bomoko, we are carrying out a live on going survey and we would really like to gauge your views on the industry starting now and charting how views change through the show. The results will be displayed live at the M-web Explained session at 14.30 on 21 October.

So Text MOBI now to 81025 to take part. YOU CAN ALSO TAKE PART AT THE SHOW so we can then see how, thanks to our marvellous seminar programme, your views may have changed.

The day e- and m-commerce became one

Want to see into the future? Well look no further than Amazon. Or rather, it’s billing service. Amazon’s one click payment service – which users register to use online but can then use on the mobile – is starting to gain traction outside of Amazon, with games and apps store Handmark in the US integrating the offering into its services.

It is admittedly a small step for the multi-billion dollar billing industry and I doubt many telemedia executive will be losing sleep over it just yet, but it is significant for a number of reasons.

First up it marks a convergence of m- and e-commerce – something that has been coming since the iPhone launched – and looks significantly like m-commerce is merely an extension of m-commerce: different device, but the same basic site and purchasing tool.

Secondly, the move is a possible indicator as to where the mobile billing space is heading: away from network operators and towards merchants. This would be warmly welcomed by many in the industry as it increases the erosion of the stranglehold network operators have tried to exert over m-commerce since its inception. There are of course issues with PCI DSS compliance and the EU Payment Directive looming (see Telemedia360 September 2009), but a move away from MNO billing would certainly open up more varied price points, better payouts and encourage more merchants to start offering mobile commerce.

Thirdly, the move by Amazon comes at a time when the consumer is crying out for mobile commerce to take off. A study by ATG (Art Technology Group), a provider of e-commerce solutions out this week, finds that as many as 38% of UK consumers have tried to shop online from their mobiles, but 28% of those who have tried it find it a difficult, being especially concerned as to how secure the billing side of things is.

According to the study, more than one in three UK respondents (39%) say they would be more likely to shop using their mobiles if retailers provided secure and easy payment services. Twenty-four per cent think offering mobile-only offers and incentives will encourage adoption. Twenty-two per cent believe retailers should design websites optimised for smaller screens to encourage use.

The move to broaden Amazon’s billing reach can only help with this. It will also more than likely drive other online merchant billing stalwarts like PayPal to really go for it on mobile. It may even see others enter the market. It certainly offers a startling opportunity for some of the telemedia industry’s finest to look at how to make their billing tools much more mainstream and really reap the rewards.

Of course there are still many rivers to cross before the general public embraces m-commerce fully, and these must be addressed alongside the billing.

The ATG study found that, despite the growing popularity of mobile applications, just 15% of UK consumers feel developing specific commerce-related applications would entice them to shop using their mobile. The survey shows use of m-commerce would increase if retailers offered customers more personal optimised experiences to suit changing lifestyles and tastes.

This is something that the whole mobile commerce industry has to address: the whole m-commerce experience needs to change. The billing is a part of that – a significant one, from a security point of view – but just a part nonetheless. How the industry now combines personalization, social networking, status-based contacts books, apps stores and billing with m-commerce will be the next great leap forward for mobile and for telemedia. And something that will be debated at TELEMDIA360 in Liverpool on 21 October. Click here for details.