With so many mobile network operators (MNOs), software systems and variety of handsets, the mobile landscape, although attractive when in full bloom, can still be a thorny place to do business for the gambling operators of the world. When the mGaming Summit kicked off, consultant Marcus Wareham, told the audience how frustrating it was that the industry hasn’t moved quickly enough to grab the opportunities just lying around with their arms up in the air. Maybe it’s this combination of different practices that is keeping firms at arms length, but Weve are about to change all of that…that’s if the voice of David Price comes to fruition.
David Price is a Sales Manager for Weve and he followed Wareham to the podium at the mGaming Summit shortly before the delegates broke for tea and some delightful cup cakes. Let’s not beat about the bush, his speech was a sales pitch for the company he represents, but it did build nicely on the words that fell out of the eager mouth of Wareham, as both men talked about the need to provide a personalized touch for the consumer. Wareham was crying out for someone to take the bull by the horns and it seems Weve are dressed in red and have currently got a tight grip on both of them.
Weve are essentially a joint venture between the UK’s largest MNOs: Vodafone UK, EE (formerly Orange) and Telefonica UK (O2). The three industry giants have the numbers of 80% of the mobile customers that exist in the UK. If Facebook is seen as the eyeballs of the world of social media world, then Weve is about to become the ears of the mobile equivalent.
“We have created a single point of contact for large scale mobile commerce,” Price told the delegates.
By large-scale mobile commerce he is referring to the 15 million members of the ‘big three’ who have signed on the dotted line to allow their data to be used by Weve, and that’s not all of them. Little wonder that Google, PayPal and Visa were just three of the big boys trying to throw a spanner into the works during the 20-months it took Weve to go through a process that included the buy-in of the European Commission (EC).
Weve’s intention is to provide a ‘one stop shop’ for both the consumer and the operators. Once again data analytics were voiced as being the key criteria as Weve continue to create a world that is designed to give the customer what they want and exactly when they need it.
By having the MNOs on board, Weve will be able to tell operators when their customers are walking down the high street thus enabling them to drive a specifically tailored marketing campaign right to their mobile phone. The same will also happen when consumers attend sporting events or are just mindlessly searching the web. Weve also plan to try and consolidate as many loyalty card schemes as possible into one single point of contact. The loyalty card is a critical piece of kit used for analysing the way that consumers live their lives.
So what is the role of the mobile network operator?
According to Weve their role is to help them give the consumer a single consolidated base for a personalized mobile experience, made possible through media, incentives, loyalty, transactions and data analytics. In short, they need to help operators and consumers interact with ease so they can create individually tailored products. But the personalized lines of contact are very thin indeed. Over in the mSports Summit the crowd were being told of a ‘list error’ where an offer for discounted concert tickets for a latino teen pop star was responsible for a 23% departure rate from subscribers, when it was inadvertently sent to a group of heavy metal fans.
As Price left the stage, the chorus of clapping hands filled my ears and joined the thoughts that were wondering where this would all end? Are we even making conscious choices these days, or are our actions, and interactions, the by-products of marketing geniuses like Weve?
