Mobile Money Network and Associated Newspapers partner
Associated Newspapers, one of the UK's largest publishers of national newspapers and consumer websites, has announced that is has signed a strategic deal with the Mobile Money Network (MMN) to integrate its instant mobile checkout technology as part of a multi-phase initiative.
The deal will allow Associated Newspapers to develop additional revenue streams, drive direct response to advertising across its media properties and gain in-depth insight about its audience.
In the first phase of the partnership, the Associated Newspapers roll out will focus on the launch of a 'Mail Shop Instant Mobile Checkout App' powered by Simply Tap to enable purchase directly from Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, dedicated shopping supplements, the Mail Shop online and from within the app itself using the Mail Shop in-app Marketplace. Smartphone users will be able to identify and buy featured products initially using a unique product code, with QR code and image recognition functionality to follow in the near future.
This move by Associated Newspapers is a sign of the times; <a href='../FullArticle.aspx?newsid=232'>as reported recently</a> on Smart Chimps, annual revenues derived from e-newspapers delivered to smart mobile devices will exceed $1.1 billion by 2016, with publishers increasingly delivering via subscription-based applications to counteract falling print sales, stated Juniper Research.
This deal is a genuine first for the media industry, stated Associated Newspapers. It claimed that no other company is using mobile to transform its ability to increase existing revenue streams, create new revenue streams and build more insightful and stronger engagement with advertisers. Rich planning data is now a reality due to real time response information about consumer engagement and purchasing, and demographic data such as age, location and historical transaction information.
Mail Shop is the shopping arm of the Daily Mail offering products in categories including home, kitchen, garden, music, film and books.
The second phase of the partnership will focus on driving sales conversion. This could be from Associated Newspaper advertiser campaigns featured across the portfolio or Mail Shops' own product range, in print, online and embedded within content.
'As publishers, we constantly scrutinise the evolving media landscape and the way our customers interact with our content. What is clear from the success of various mobile initiatives we have rolled out over the last few years is that our customers are active smartphone users and increasingly consume our content through the mobile device. It makes good business sense to further enhance our mobile offer and create new revenue streams,' said Kevin Beatty, CEO, A&N Media.
'The Simply Tap instant mobile checkout functionality gives advertisers the potential consumer insight and an instant sales conversion response that has never been possible before. This innovation will enable media owners such as Associated Newspapers to recalibrate their relationship with advertisers and demonstrate their value in a fragmented landscape,' said John Milliken, managing director, Mobile Money Network.
Associated Newspapers publishes the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday, as well as the urban daily Metro.
