'The Exchange' AIME Blog

From the Chairman – April 2013

ryan — Wed, 08 May 2013 08:51:40 +0000

Dear AIME colleagues,

Apps continue to dominate the headlines, though this time it’s because the OFT has launched a full on review of apps that offer in-app purchases. The OFT will look to resolve who is responsible for protecting consumers from unfair practices within the App world, as well as considering the role of parents in supervising children’s access to Freemium apps. On another note, the opportunity to capture an app market that would prefer to pay via mobile billing is getting closer, with Payforit 4.1 now being trialled and early indications that the framework for in-app billing functionality will be available by the summer. We were pleased to announce at the end of April that we will hold the first Payforit Summit on June 26th, in order to bring the industry together to discuss and learn about the Payforit journey so far, as well as opening the opportunity of Payforit v4 up to the wider Industry.

Apps offer a much more immersive relationship between the merchant and consumer, and efficiently linking data to a monetisation strategy or enhancement of an engagement experience with the brand is key. The Interactive Broadcast Forum on the 9th May considered the evolution of PTV and how AIME can continue to support sector growth – Weve Insight Director, James Hanscomb addressed the group with a view on how mobile can help broadcasters better understand their audience through mobile channels; and the Group fedback on AIME’s Interactive Technology Guide, recent interactive campaigns, and potential models for free vs paid and 2nd screen monetisation.

In April, AIME was delighted to welcome Global Radio to AIME membership. The UK’s leading radio broadcaster (behind brands such as Heart, Capital, Classic FM, Xfm, Choice, Gold and LBC and with 19 million listeners each week), has been taking a fresh look at how to monetise on-air competitions and we look forward to developing some insightful case studies to explore the opportunities shortly.

AIME market insights are now available in the member’s area. Recent publications include insights into India, Sweden and Portugal, so make sure to take a look.

Finally, the AIME Board met to discuss the next 3 year strategic plan recently and will be feeding back to Members at the next AIME GM (24th July).

Yours faithfully,

Bod

AIME Chairman

Dentons: Freemium apps under investigation by the OFT

ryan — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:51:12 +0000

There has been a great deal of recent press coverage about children running up considerable bills on “freemium” gaming apps – those that are free to download but then offer in-app purchasing. One extreme example saw two children in the UK rack up a £3,200 bill in under three hours and, in the US, Apple has already agreed to repay US$100 million to parents affected by the practice.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT), the UK’s consumer protection regulator, has now decided that it needs to look into the issue. It has already written to app developers for an explanation of their marketing practices and is encouraging other interested parties to come forward with relevant information.

One key issue that the OFT will need to resolve is who is responsible for protecting consumers from unfair practices. Does the buck stop with the game developers or should responsibility ultimately fall on hosting services such as iTunes as the administrator of the accounts from which the payments are made?

At the same time, the OFT will need to consider the role of parents in ensuring that children’s access
to, and use of, freemium apps is appropriately supervised.

What do the rules say?

The OFT’s powers to intervene derive from the fact that it is one of the UK’s consumer protection “enforcers”. In

this case, it is enforcing the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (the Regulations).

The Regulations give the OFT considerable investigative powers including the power to make test purchases, enter any business premises and, if it reasonably suspects wrongdoing, seize goods and copy documents that provide evidence of a breach.

In its press release announcing the investigation, the OFT refers to the following potential breaches of the Regulations:

• causes or is likely to cause the average consumer to take a transactional decision he would not otherwise have taken.

Misleading omissions. An omission will be deemed misleading if it:
- omits,hides,presentsinanunclear or untimely manner any material information, or it fails to identify its commercial purpose; and
- causes or is likely to cause the average consumer to take a transactional decision he would not otherwise have taken.
Aggressive commercial practices. A practice will be deemed aggressive if it:
- uses harassment, coercion or undue influence to significantly impair the average consumer’s freedom of choice; and
- causes or is likely to cause the average consumer to take a transactional decision he would not otherwise have taken.

Direct exhortation to children. Any advertisement that directly incites children to buy (or persuade their parents to buy) a product will always be considered unfair.
Misleading actions. An action will be deemed to be misleading if it:• contains false information or its overall presentation deceives or is likely to deceive the average consumer; and

• Unfair commercial practices. A practice will be unfair if it:

falls short of the standard expected for honest market practice or good faith in that market; and
materially distorts or is likely to distort the economic behaviour of the average consumer.

Each of the above behaviours will only be misleading, aggressive or unfair if it affects decisions taken by “average consumers”. The Regulations identify broadly three types of average consumer:

1 “Pure” average consumer – they are reasonably well-informed and circumspect.
2 Targeted average consumer – when a product is directed at a particular group, the average consumer will be an average member of the targeted group.
3 Vulnerable average consumer – where a particular class
of consumer is particularly vulnerable to a commercial practice or underlying product by reason of their age, credulity or infirmity. In such cases the average consumer will be the average member of that vulnerable class.

The consequences of breaching the Regulations are potentially severe. The OFT can request a court order forcing the end of certain practices, the breach of which may result in criminal prosecution for contempt of court.

Additionally – specifically under these Regulations – an individual and/or company found to commit any of the breaches referred to above can be prosecuted. This offence carries a maximum sentence of 2 years imprisonment.

What are the likely issues for freemium apps?

The OFT will also look closely at the language and content of commercial communications and the nature of the product to determine whether freemium gaming apps are targeted at children or that children are particularly vulnerable to them. If
the OFT determines that children
are targeted by, or vulnerable to, freemium gaming apps, then the information and processes around them will need to be presented in
a way which would not mislead, pressurise or otherwise treat unfairly the average child.

Freemium apps are under particular scrutiny because of their popularity with children. The OFT has explicitly stated that it is examining whether “direct exhortations” to children
have been made. By analogy, the Advertising Standards Authority’s codes regard any direct-response mechanism as a direct exhortation which cannot be directed at children. In-app dialogue encouraging immediate purchase will be extremely vulnerable if the dialogue is directed at child users.

The timing of information is also key in the freemium games sphere – some media reports allege that price information is not made available at the outset and that promoting the apps as free was misleading. When Phonepay Plus recently issued its own guidance about the freemium model in the premium-rate sphere, they concluded that that pricing information needs to be made available at the point of promotion and restated every time a new purchase option is presented.

The OFT’s conclusions on where the burden of compliance lies will be important in shaping the compliance framework. When consumers complained in the US, Apple shouldered the responsibility (probably on the advice of its PR team). However, the UK regulations are much more targeted at the interface with consumers, which would tend to suggest that app developers will be the ones required to ensure that in-app communications are not misleading, pressurising or otherwise unfair.

What should you be doing?

It should be stressed that, at this stage, the OFT is not investigating specific breaches of the Regulations.

The OFT is inviting stakeholders, including games developers and hosting services, to provide information to help it understand the prevailing practices in this market. It has set an initial deadline of 28 June for submissions. This consultation itself is expected to last until October 2013, at which point the OFT will indicate its intentions going forward.

Until the OFT publishes its initial findings those involved in supplying freemium apps will need to consider whether they are doing enough to ensure parents are aware of the practical steps they can already take to protect children including:

• making sure a child using a smartphone/iPad doesn’t know the password/pin needed to make purchases;

• if a child has his/her own phone, registering it as a child’s phone with the network and considering either a pay as you go account or blocking certain services;

• looking at the settings for each “freemium” game/app and check if in-app purchases can be turned off or protected with a password/pin.

Contacts

For further information on the issues covered by this note, please contact:

Alex Haffner
Dentons
T +44 20 7320 3802 alex.haffner@dentons.com

David Ashman
AIME
T +44 7710 762029 davidashman@aime.org

Andrew Moss
Dentons
T +44 20 7246 7684 andrew.moss@dentons.com

About Dentons

Dentons is a global firm driven to provide a competitive edge in an increasingly complex and interconnected marketplace. It was formed in March 2013 by the combination of international law firm Salans LLP, Canadian law firm Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP (FMC) and international law firm SNR Denton. Dentons is built on the solid foundations of these three highly valued law firms. Each built an outstanding reputation and valued clientele by responding to the local, regional and national needs of a broad spectrum of clients of all sizes.

Dentons’ clients now benefit from more than 2,500 lawyers and professionals in 79 locations in 52 countries across Africa, Asia Pacific, Canada, Central Asia, Europe the Middle East, Russia and the CIS, the UK and the US who are committed to challenge the status quo and offer creative, dynamic business and legal solutions.

About AIME

AIME is the UK based trade organisation representing the commercial interests of the member companies involved in the interactive media and entertainment industry – where consumers interact or engage with services across converged media platforms, and play for those services or content using a variety of micro payment technologies.

AIME is the only UK trade association with membership across all elements of the interactive media and entertainment value chain, which is generally supported by Premium Rate Service (PRS) billing facilities, providing an unrivalled networking environment with the key industry players in the sector.

Announcement: New Payforit Summit to further grow Payforit

ryan — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:32:21 +0000

As we all know Payforit is growing in popularity with consumers and as we see revenues increase, an increasing number of merchants are adopting the Payment mechanic.

To support further growth we are hosting a Payforit Summit on June 26^th – an event dedicated to Payforit, to help increase knowledge and importantly revenues from services.

The Summit is being supported by the UK’s mobile network operators O2, EE, Three and Vodafone, who will all be in attendance on the day. It is being held in central London at 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, just off the Mall.

You may have seen recent press, where AIME Director Toby Padgham comments:

“The number of consumers with a mobile phone on them at any time is almost as high as the number with cash on them at any time. For many, making one-off purchases, subscriptions, redeeming vouchers or making charity donations, mobile billing is far more convenient than using cards. The Payforit Summit will provide business growth opportunities for merchants looking to monetise their digital services using the online payment mechanism Payforit.”

We think that it’ll be a great event for anyone currently using or looking to get involved with Payforit. You can see more information about it on the event’s website here.

And of course, after the event there will be the chance to have a drink and network with people from all across the industry.

See you there.

Can Payforit V4 unlock the Paywall? Q&A with Chris Newell

ryan — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:27:26 +0000

This week, the Exchange blog caught up with Chris Newell, leading board member of the Payforit Working Group, to ask him how Payforit v4 is developing, and where in particular opportunities lie for growth and fine-tuning of Payforit.

Payforit v4 is now picking up traction among merchants for online billing of digital content though mobile, but where do the opportunities exist outside of traditional digital content?

“Payforit v4 best sits at the small end of Paypal – so transactions below £10. Paypal isn’t really an effective payment mechanic within this range because it doesn’t suit the impulse purchase that small value digital goods can command. Within this range, there exist many areas where Payforit could be effective, such as mobile Games, Gambling, Wifi Payments and Competitions. Another area that could be developed is within the Publishing sector. With various bits of research suggesting that 90% of online content found on news sites will be moved behind a Paywall within three years, Payforit could be positioned as a better way for consumers to pay for fast access to news content behind a Paywall. We are hoping that we can open up the Payforit opportunity to the wider Industry, not just to publishers – precisely why we are running the first Payforit Summit in June”

Sticking to the Publishing sector opportunity, Credit card subscriptions/ triggered wallets are usually Consumers first choice when it comes to accessing paid content behind a Paywall. How do you see Payforit shifting consumer attitudes to paying for news media content, and adopting micropayment options like Payforit?

When people are buying digital content online, they rarely, if ever, make their purchasing decisions based on the billing method; this wouldn’t change if Payforit was implemented on a Paywall. Rather, depending on the content they are buying, the payment mechanic can be what alters their initial decision; for example if the payment takes too long to complete, or is too complicated. Online news media publishers are spending a lot of time and money on optimizing the way they bring their audience through to content; but they haven’t spent much time focusing on how to optimize the purchase of news content once the audience has arrived. The only thing that can happen to shift consumer’s attitudes is to educate them better about paying for digital content online, so they are aware of direct to bill payments and realize its simplicity over other payment mechanics, for this particular scenario.

Are there any commercial or regulatory barriers for Publishers looking at Payforit as a payment option?

Payforit is about 90% there in terms of being a scheme that could be widely adopted by many digital sectors. At the moment, there is still that 10% of work for the Industry to come together on in order to make it a completely viable option for sectors like Publishing. Most news media publishers have a pretty clear strategy when it comes to subscriptions and how they use their online version of their publication. For example, the Times has a dual subscription offering which means you get the physical paper as well as the digital version, to read on the go. In this context, Payforit isn’t quite there because of restrictions for purchase of physical goods – but work is being done on this area by AIME. Despite this, publishers should realize that despite Payforit not offering the same commercial terms as other options such as credit card, it can convert more readers to pay for content and publishers would therefore see the returns.

Chris Newell is an AIME Board member and CEO of ImpulsePay. For more information on AIME’s Payforit Working Group, click here. For more information on the upcoming Payforit Summit in June, please visit the Event website here.

OFT investigates free children’s web and app-based games – 12th April ’13

ryan — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:57:54 +0000

The OFT has launched an investigation into whether children are being unfairly pressured or encouraged to pay for additional content in ‘free’ web and app-based games, including upgraded membership or virtual currency such as coins, gems or fruit. Typically, players can access only portions of these games for free, with new levels or features, such as faster game play, costing money.

As part of the investigation, the OFT has written to companies offering free web or app-based games, seeking information on in-game marketing to children. The OFT is also asking for parents and consumer groups to contact it with information about potentially misleading or commercially aggressive practices they are aware of in relation to these games.

The OFT investigation is exploring whether these games are misleading, commercially aggressive or otherwise unfair. In particular, the OFT is looking into whether these games include ‘direct exhortations’ to children – a strong encouragement to make a purchase, or to do something that will necessitate making a purchase, or to persuade their parents or other adults to make a purchase for them. This is unlawful under the Consumer Protection (from Unfair Trading) Regulations 2008.

As part of the investigation, the OFT will also consider whether the full cost of some of these games is made clear when they are downloaded or accessed, potentially leading to children and parents to make decisions they may not have made if prices were more transparently advertised at the start of the purchasing process.

Cavendish Elithorn, OFT Senior Director for Goods and Consumer, said:

‘We are concerned that children and their parents could be subject to unfair pressure to purchase when they are playing games they thought were free, but which can actually run up substantial costs.

‘The OFT is not seeking to ban in-game purchases, but the games industry must ensure it is complying with the relevant regulations so that children are protected. We are speaking to the industry and will take enforcement action if necessary.’

As part of its investigation, the OFT is asking for information from key players in the sector, including games developers and games hosting services, as well as consumer and parenting groups. The information will be used to understand business practices used in this sector, to establish whether consumer protection regulations are being breached and if so what the consumer harm is. To contact the OFT with information, please see the details on the project page. The OFT expects to publish its next steps by October 2013.

NOTES

On 9 April 2013, 80 of the 100 top-grossing Android apps, for example, in the UK were free to install and raised revenue through in-app purchases. Single purchases of virtual currency typically range from a few pence to £70 or more. According to Ofcom, home internet use for five- to seven-year olds is 67 per cent, for eight- to 11-year olds is 82 per cent and for 12- to 15-year olds is 90 per cent. In 2012, 28 per cent of children aged five to 15 owned smartphones, an increase from 20 per cent in the previous year.

The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 prohibits unfair commercial practices. Under Regulation 3, a commercial practice is unfair if it: contravenes the requirements of professional diligence and materially distorts or is likely to materially distort the economic behaviour of the average consumer with regard to the goods or services; is a misleading action; is a misleading omission; or is aggressive. Paragraph 28 of Schedule 1 of the Regulations also prohibits including in an advertisement a direct exhortation to children to buy advertised products or persuade their parents or other adults to buy advertised products for them.

At this stage, the OFT cannot identify the companies that are subject to this investigation and no assumption should be made that any companies being investigated have broken the law.

Microsoft Windows 8 App-ortunity; are you ready to take it?

ryan — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 05:40:24 +0000

Reporting from the AIME & Microsoft Workshop (Ryan Hall – March ’13)

Summary

- Microsoft Windows 8 Apps Opportunity
- Market data
- Member Preferential Offer

Mobile! Apps! Opportunity! Three big words that you would have done very well to avoid in the headlines of most major Industry publications and news channels over the last 6 to 12 months.

Yet these words are in our faces for a very good reason; the opportunity is very much still out there to be grabbed and the number of platforms and virtual shop windows to get your app published is increasing all the time.

But with greater choice, it’s becoming more and more difficult to identify the best place to channel one’s app development efforts. We are of course all well aware of the established marketplaces for apps, but is it still worth spending the time and money in developing apps considering how difficult is it to get noticed amongst hundreds and thousands of competitors?

AIME has sought to help Members identify where the easy-win opportunities for business growth still exist and how they can take advantage of the evolving platform environment. At AIME’s most recent workshop in March, AIME invited Members to a special Microsoft Windows 8 Apps Workshop that revealed to participants some very promising insights on the opportunities for developers on the Windows 8 Apps store. Read on for some very good news.

Alongside a special offering secured by AIME for Members, extending Microsoft’s technical and commercial assistance to Members wishing to launch an App into the Windows 8 App Store, Adrian Clarke and John Holdstock from Microsoft explained how market forecasts for the Windows 8 platform meant that potential developers were well advised to grab the chance now before others stepped in.

The Windows 8 journey so far has been interesting. When releasing Windows 7, Microsoft revealed that they had sold 690M licenses worldwide. Turning to Windows 8, the success of 7 is looking to be reproduced in 8, with Gartner predicting between 13 to 14m PC’s in the UK to be running Windows 8 within 12 months of launch. New features for Windows 8 app developers to take advantage of include ‘Live Tiles’, a new way of pushing notifications onto the device’s home-screen, and improving an Apps ability to remind users of updates or app-centric announcements and draw them back into engaging with the App.

But of course, it’s not just about the desktop any longer. What about those mobile devices? We all know the major players, such as Android, who reportedly reached 200 million activated phones last year, hold the greatest market share for mobile devices. Attention is on these players, but when looking at Windows-based mobile devices, the market share is predicted by IDC to hit 11.4% worldwide, nearly tripling in the first 12 months of Windows 8 RT launch.

But the good news didn’t stop there. If the improving market penetration was something for attendees to consider, the commercials really caused a stir. Microsoft, unlike some of the other App store platforms available, have taken an open approach to billing on the Windows 8 store, meaning that Apps developers can either use Microsoft’s billing engine at a commission of 30%, (and a reduced revenue share of 20% after $25000 revenue is reached) or they are free to incorporate their own billing engine into the apps, with no revenue share being taken by Microsoft whatsoever.

The commercials alone make the Windows 8 App store worth looking into and for AIME Members present, alongside the special offer of Microsoft’s technical and commercial assistance, it certainly led to some interesting conversations post-event. Interested AIME members should contact AIME Exec directly for more feedback on the event and our exclusive offer.

For more information on upcoming events or to ensure you receive invitations to future sessions similar to the above, contact the AIME exec to register your interest. Not an AIME member? Check out what membership could mean for your business by downloading our membership pack here.

*all stats reported in this article were made available during the session and should be used for informational purposes only.

Say What You Want About Our Show, Just Be Sure You’re Logged In

ryan — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 08:50:26 +0000

This week, the Exchange hears from Telescope’s Jason George, who gives us to lowdown on:

- the evolution of audience analysis
- how audience interaction is changing the TV business
- SMS and Social Media voting – what’s going on in the US?

Current live audience interactions scratch the surface of social media’s potential. Measurement tools, data analysis and connected devices will transform the television business

TV has always been a social medium, but technology’s disruption of traditional business models is now forcing networks and content producers to increasingly look to social platforms to help them arrest declining advertiser revenue, ratings, and time-shifted viewing.

Traditionally, US programming has skewed towards tape-delayed, due to the need to broadcast in different time zones. But through our involvement at Telescope, powering voting and audience engagement for numerous popular television shows for over a decade, we’ve seen a significant shift from tape-delayed broadcasts towards both more live shows as well as the adoption of on-air interactive mechanics to drive audience engagement, social sharing, and discussion. Instead of striving for that “water cooler moment” the next day at the office, producers and network executives want to create that buzzed-about moment immediately, within the live-show broadcast.

This new reality is creating a profound impact not just on how audiences engage with a show, but also on how shows are conceived and executed and, perhaps most importantly, sold to sponsors and advertisers. We manage the interactivity on American Idol and it’s a great example of this – it started out in 2001 with a landline phone vote and, with the introduction of AT&T Mobility as a sponsor in 2002, pioneered SMS voting in the US. Back then, the received wisdom was that texting would never catch on in the US. However, SMS voting driven by American Idol was one of the cultural landmarks that put that myth to bed and brought immense kudos to AT&T as the exclusive sponsor. Sometimes, as was the case with American Idol, the means inform the technology, rather than the other way around.

Fast-forward to 2011, and the show worked with Facebook to introduce mass-scale online voting, utilising its sign-on tool to allow US voters and fans to share their thoughts and experience with their friends, fellow fans, and the social media sphere at large. This year’s show has taken all this innovation a stage further, integrating social streams live on air, powering a digital fan experience that enables viewers to participate in a play-along game as the performances happen, and then vote for their favourite contestants at the show’s climax.

Despite its recent integration into the show, the early results point to a profound change in how American Idol fans engage across all connected devices and what they expect from their TV experiences of the future.

Audience activation and live polling via Twitter and other digital platforms will increasingly complement TV programming, driving engagement and creating integrations that sponsors can attach themselves to. We’ve seen great results from real-time participation on campaigns with clients such as NBA, NASCAR, Food Network, Channel 4 and Channel 5. As we’ve learned, these sorts of live audience interactions that encourage active participation are only scratching the surface of how broadcasters, content producers and advertisers can maximise the potential from social media. The key to breaking through will be in how they approach the wealth of data that’s available to them via digital platforms.

One of our recent campaigns, –Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Fish Fight on Channel 4, is a good example of how producers are changing their approach to social media. In the ad-break bumpers, Hugh directly appealed to viewers to tweet the UK’s biggest supermarkets about his sustainable fishing campaign. This caused a surge in Twitter activity to over 2,200 messages a minute from the show’s norm of approximately 300 messages a minute, with total tweet volumes increasing to over 40,000 from the usual 3,000 an episode. The results were revealed in the show immediately after the ad break, providing the audience with continuity and instant live feedback. This type of quantifiable engagement is being integrated into the sales materials of TV ad sales executives everywhere, as a unique feature of how the combination of broadcast with digital activation can drive a unique advertiser opportunity.

While broadcasters, content producers, and brands work to leverage technology to build interaction, the key question remains: how can we establish universal metrics for these interactions to be measured, and what does it all mean? The race is on to create new media measurement tools that move well beyond what the likes of the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board and Nielsen currently provide, as evidenced by the recent purchases of social analytics companies Blue Fin Labs and Social TV Guide by Twitter and Nielsen, respectively. By enhancing and socialising the TV viewing experience, second- and third-screen applications hold one of the keys to how television will move into a world of personalised content and advertising experiences, and more efficient measurable advertising.

Currently these solutions are nascent, and new models and budgets are in the experimentation stage, but a real step change will occur when your connected TV “talks” directly to your tablet or smartphone, combining interactive viewing information with personalised engagement and behavioural data. This will be a paradigm shift both in how audiences experience television, and how that televised content is monetised.

That world is nearer than you think.

Jason George is CEO of Telescope, the leading provider of audience participation, consumer engagement and social television solutions. You can follow Telescope on Twitter @Telescope_Inc.

A version of this article appeared 21 March 2013, in the Media Network section of The Guardian, with the headline: “TV and Social platforms: just be sure you’re logged in”

AIME announces new Research Area for Members

ryan — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:52:11 +0000

As a wise man once said to me, “an investment in knowledge pays the best interest”. As it turns out, that wise man had borrowed this quote from the internet, but putting this aside, the quote remains an important reminder that in order to gain the most from our ventures, we are well advised to invest our time and effort in understanding the global Industry we find ourselves in.

Having a global understanding, or at least being able to comprehend the bigger picture, has arguably never been more important. Opportunities are no longer at our front door; instead, we have to turn to emerging markets and take the lessons, ideas and expertise we have learnt locally, to the bigger stage.

But where does one start with understanding pastures new? If you don’t have the time or the patience to seek out the information you need, how can you begin to access the opportunities that are waiting for you elsewhere, or know where opportunities don’t exist?

AIME has always placed a value on knowledge and bringing as much expertise and insight as we possibly can to our Members; whether that be through training courses, Knowledge & Networking seminars or Events.

Mid-2012, AIME decided to invest in bringing more accessible, insightful knowledge to its members, in-line with initiatives developed around the Future Media Group.

Now, AIME is delighted to announce the launch of a new Members-only research area, featuring 12 key market reports that bring together key demographics, trends and localized information to provide members with a clear understanding of different global markets.

As well as developing further Market reports, AIME has also begun to find and filter the best information available for a wide range of sectors, removing the chaff and leaving members with a useful repository of Industry reports and stats, making our Research area the first port of call for Members who need to find the facts that shape their business decisions.

AIME Customer Care Survey: Top Marks for Members

ryan — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:39:29 +0000

Membership of AIME has always provided participating organisations with a trust-mark that demonstrates to the Industry and the Consumer their commitment to supporting and building a safe and stable Industry for everyone.

To further build on this solid trust-mark, AIME is delighted to report that in a recent in-house Customer Care Lines (CCLs) survey, out of the total sample of Customer Care numbers surveyed in the research, all CCLs belonging to AIME members were found to be fully compliant with PhonepayPlus (PPP) 12^th code requirements. This is an encouraging sign that AIME members share and apply the same importance on providing the Consumer with straightforward, reliable customer care when they require it.

The survey findings were developed from two data sets; one consisting of fixed-line numbers, and the other of short codes for mobile services. The data set included numbers promoted in an online and print media environment.

Key findings that have been revealed through this recent survey include an indication that Customer Care within the Industry is improving in general, with Print Media showing an improvement with noticeably more customer care numbers listed, alongside a general rise in the number of customer care lines being answered in person for both fixed and mobile services.

The number of correct and compliant CCLs available for Fixed Line services listed on Number Checker has risen, with 72% and 88% of mobile and fixed CCL’s respectively being answered in person by a customer care operative. Of the remaining calls, 50% returned a call to our voicemail enquiry within 24 hours of initial contact.

Overall, AIME’s survey found that 84% of mobile service CCLs met the necessary standard required, alongside 94% of fixed services CCLs.

Following the implementation of the PPP Number Checker in 2011, all Consumer enquiries to PPP should now be directed to the Merchant as the first point of contact for resolution. In order for this process to work efficiently it is vital that the Number Checker is populated with the correct customer service information and contact details.

The journey so far: Payforit V4

ryan — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 09:24:19 +0000

The Exchange blog takes 5 to ask Paul Paterson, Chief Commercial Officer of ImpulsePay a few questions on Payforit as Version 4 turns 6 months old and asks, is Payforit finally becoming accepted among Merchants?

It’s been over 6 months since Payforit 4 launched, what has the uptake been like?

ImpulsePay launched Payforit 4 a week after it was made available and we were the first provider to set a service live (CrossCountry trains in June 2012). We then completed the switch to version 4 for all our merchants back in September 2012. As a result we now have a huge amount of experience with Payforit 4, as well as some important data on conversion rates. The general feedback from both merchants and consumer has been very positive.

ImpulsePay has seen a large increase in general enquiries about Payforit, mainly due to the fact that it’s now a more widely accepted mobile billing solution. We believe that the positive press around Payforit over the last 12 months has helped to bring back merchants who previously were unsure about Payforit.

One of the biggest reasons that new merchants are enquiring about Payforit is simply that Payforit 4 looks a lot better. Part of ImpulsePay’s input into AIME’s Payforit working group was to create a more visually appealing set of payment screens, and the result is something we’re really proud of. The mobile embedded versions of the payment screens are also very important in maintaining brand awareness throughout the payment process.

Overall, the industry is definitely embracing Payforit and this can be seen by the increasing number of aggregators beginning to provide Payforit to their clients.

What about conversion rates? Are they better now?

Conversion rates are certainly better than before. It’s important to make the distinction between standard Payforit and the new Payforit Single Click. Standard Payforit has seen a huge improvement, with some merchants now experiencing conversion rates of over 80%, which is a marked increase over version 3.

As Payforit Single Click is a new addition to the Payforit framework it’s difficult to draw a comparison with previous versions. Having said that, Payforit Single Click is seeing a huge amount of interest and the merchants who have been trialing it with us are very happy so far.

We try and work with all our merchants to help them understand user behavior and how it affects their conversions and revenue. It’s important that the consumer is made aware of the cost before hitting the payment page, as this helps to increase conversion rates. For both Payforit and Payforit Single Click we provide detailed analysis of each step in the consumer journey through our online reporting tool, this gives merchants valuable insight if consumers do drop out of the payment process.

How do merchants perceive Payforit now? Are they looking at it in a new light?

Definitely. Payforit simply hadn’t received the care and attention that it needed before 2012, it required a lot of input and feedback from the whole industry to get it to where it is now. Payforit is no longer the ugly duckling of the PRS industry, it’s a respected and valued mobile billing solution. With Version 4.1 in the works (in-app billing) this value will extend to app developers as well.

How has the Industry’s work with the MNOs helped to drive the growth of Payforit?

Our hard work in creating Payforit 4, alongside other industry stakeholders in the AIME Payforit working group, has helped shape the future of Payforit. Some of those other stakeholders included the mobile operators and we have all worked together in this.

At ImpulsePay we had a big hand in this – helping to design the new screens and pushing the boundaries with Payforit Single Click, however the operators have worked with us on this and that has really helped the industry as a whole. What we’re seeing now is a change in attitude across the industry towards Payforit, which can only be a good thing.

Where do you see Payforit going in the next 12 months?

The mobile networks are constantly innovating with Payforit and working with the industry to add new features and improvements. Through AIME’s Payforit Working Group aggregators are able to work closely with the networks to bring new ideas and features to the table.

Obviously one of the biggest changes will happen when the In-App billing version of Payforit is released, but there will be other smaller, incremental changes that we are always working on to improve the consumer experience and drive up merchant revenues.

You can download ImpulsePay’s guide to Payforit 4 here: