A new, wide-ranging survey reports that the East is leading the West when it comes to m-commerce adoption. Continue reading
East and West? Never the m-commerce twain shall meet
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Tag Archives: mobile
The Africans are coming… this year’s Meffys prove it
There’s nothing like a awards bash to bring together people and last night’s Meffys at a Mayfair hotel was no different.
Or was it? This was the ninth year of the awards given to achievers in the mobile space and things *have* changed over that time, and not just the continually transforming mobile industry.
Nine years ago it wasn’t that easy to find a woman at the Meffys (aside from MEF’s fragrant Rimma Perelmuter of course) and even harder to find a non-white male. It was a lads’ industry and awards nights like this generally involved unhealthy amounts of sexism, booze and that other rock n’ roll substance.
No longer. In the leaner and more realistic 2012, the women in the audience last night almost resembled the gender proportions of society… and what was even more refreshing was how many Asians and Africans were present.
What was even more impressive was the content coming out of Africa. I was lucky enough to be one of the judges and it was great to see Afroes for Moraba win the Social Responsibility and Development Award, it was by far the best entry.
Other African (and Middle East) winners included the Yala music service and cloud-based app comany BiNu. Even the biggest winner on the night had an African connection. The Meffys Outstanding Contribution Award 2012 was given to Hannes Van Rensburg, CEO Fundamo, for mobile banking in Africa.
On the main table among other high-powered executives (and me, the lightweight) was Prins Mhlanga who is doing great things for Vodacom in South Africa and fellow-judge Matthew Dawes who runs some extraordinary trade shows across the continent.
The headline of this piece says the Africans are coming, but they are already here. If you’re working in mobile and digital and not doing business there then it’s time you woke up. Congratulations to the MEF for noticing this and promoting the continent, they should be applauded.
Little Grey Cells #11… The future of Condé Nast is not digital, it is multi-platform
* The latest in our series of Tim Healey interviews is with Jamie Jouning, Digital Director of Condé Nast
Vogue has just seriously tweaked its online and tablet presence, what’s new for the digital reader?
Our aim for sometime now has been to raise the standard of our digital proposition up alongside our print products and the recent launch of Vogue’s monthly iPad edition and the new website does exactly that. Cleaner, intuitive navigation, bold, fully responsive digital design and the exposure of relevant content on every page, provide the digital reader with a massively enhanced, but ultimately unique Vogue experience online and on tablet.
What’s new for the digital advertiser?
Fully responsive ads that expand and contract to the size of your screen; stunning full screen gallery interstitials that allow the advertiser to take advantage of our new, best in class gallery experience; bespoke in-content ads that sit neatly within the body copy of the article. On tablet the possibilities are endless and the only constraints are on the imaginations of our advertisers.
As Digital Director at Condé Nast, what are your responsibilities?
I oversee the web and mobile business across the Condé Nast brand portfolio, from commercial through to editorial and product development. I am extremely fortunate to have a lot of very talented experts in each of these specialist fields, so my job is made all the more simple.
Is the future of Condé Nast digital?
The future of Condé Nast is multi-platform. We have a robust print business that is showing no signs of decline, while the digital business is expanding aggressively alongside. Our mission statement is to continue to deliver brilliant, beautifully designed content on whatever platform our audience chooses to consume it.
You have been at Condé Nast since 1996, what have been the major changes you have witnessed?
When I started at Condé Nast sales orders were written out by hand in triplicate and faxed to clients, unwieldy chromalins were the only way to colour check your editorial pages pre-press and you could smoke at your desk. The digital revolution has imparted itself on every single core function at Condé Nast and will continue to shape our business in years to come.
What’s the most beautiful place your work has taken you?
During my time on GQ I was fortunate enough to go on photo shoots all over the world. If I had to pick one, then it would have to be Rio de Janeiro, not least as we managed to squeeze in a visit to the Maracanã stadium to watch Flamengo versus Fluminese – the beautiful game, in the beautiful city.
What’s the last album you downloaded or bought, and why?
Abba Gold – at my daughter’s behest, it was for her fifth birthday party celebrations.
Where do you live, and why?
London, SW6. I grew up in North London so this is as far south as I’m allowed to go – migrating south of the river is out of the question.
What do you do to relax and unwind?
I play league cricket for Southgate CC every Saturday in the summer and follow Spurs avidly through the winter, although relaxing is not a word that I’d necessarily attach to the latter. Spending time with my wife and two daughters is the ultimate relaxation, particularly if it happens to involve good food and fine wine.
Mobile ad network InMobi snaps up UK-based Metaflow (for undisclosed sum)
Bangalore-based mobile ad network InMobi has acquired Metaflow Solutions for an undisclosed sum as the company continues to spend its recent $200 million funding.
Metaflow is mobile app management and distribution company that has been working hard in the mobile space for six years. Its CEO Charles McLeod is not only a good friend, but he’s worked his socks off with a great team to make this happen. The acquisition will ‘expand the distribution and monetisation of content for InMobi’s developers and publisher partners.
“At Metaflow, our mission has been to simplify and unify the process surrounding content management and deployment of apps to a distributed and highly fragmented marketplace. The global reach and technology backbone provided by InMobi is hugely exciting for us,” said Charles McLeod, CEO at Metaflow.
On a final note I’d like to thank Charles for the lashings of fizz we consumed on Friday afternoon and just to confirm that I can keep a secret. Nothing as sacrosanct as off-the-record. Congratulations, mate!
The 9th annual Meffys are open… you have until 9th July to enter
The Meffys, the best mobile awards in the world, take place in London later this year, but entries for more than 13 categories are now open.
With a deadline of July 9th, and judged by an independent and uniquely international panel of journalists, academics, analysts, VCs (and yours truly), categories range from apps to brands to social responsibility… and consumer trust.
“MEF reviews the categories on an annual basis to reflect the industry’s evolution and this year we are recognising the profound impact of mobile on consumers around the world,” said Rimma Perelmuter, MEF Executive Director.
Last year, more than 350 industry leaders from more than 30 countries gathered in London to attend the Meffys. For more details and information on how to enter visit www.meffys.com